Quinta Mazatlan - A Feast with Natives

from SOCIALIFE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2021

by SOCIALIFE Magazine

VAMOS a Celebrar Gala

Quinta

MAZATLAN

A FEAST WITH NATIVES

October in Texas is Native Plant Month by Christopher Muñoz

Walking through the bushlands of the lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is to walk through nature’s pantry. Though most of us may not recognize the many edible plants that surround us as we walk down the trail or drive down farm-to-market roads, our ancestors, whether indigenous or of European descent, knew well the multitude of culinary uses that native plants literally bring to the table.

Much of the information regarding the edibility of native plants is perpetuated by means of oral tradition. A grandfather will concoct a tea for his grandson, and so on and so forth. I, personally, was taught by an older woman from northern Mexico to make a kind of coffee substitute out of the beans of the Texas Ebony Tree—something she and her family had routinely done in the past. It becomes immediately apparent that the ancient and historical practices of the people of the LRGV are very much alive and are carried out by those whose lifestyles involve intimate interaction with the wilderness of the RGV landscape.

Cowboys and early settlers quickly learned which plants were edible and which were toxic from information disseminated by native peoples. Consequently, vaqueros and their ‘cocineros’ in the rangelands of south Texas integrated native plants into their culinary routines. Plants like the Mesquite provided sweet legumes which could be eaten raw, or ground into a flour to form a kind of flatbread. The berries of the Brasil tree where mashed, fermented, and made into a wine substitute. The flowers yielded by the stalk of our native Yucca where collected and cooked with eggs, a fairly common practice to this day.

Some of the most common edible plants are as follows: Sugar Hackberry, Granjeno, Amaranth (the most important food crop of the Aztecs, before chia and corn), Turk’s Cap, Manzanita, Ebony, Mesquite, Texas Persimmon, and the fruit of various species of cacti. The list, of course, goes on. Please exercise caution when handling all plants and consult experts when identifying plants for culinary use. Each person has a distinct metabolism and should bear in mind that some plants should be avoided because they may have adverse effects either upon contact or consumption.

Of course, the edibility of wild plants is no secret to wildlife. For instance, the relationship shared between animals and many native plants is one of mutual dependence. Many plants require that their seed coats be broken down by the stomach acids of animals in order to kick start germination.

Some might find it surprising that native plants such as salvia coccinea (Scarlet Sage/Salvia Del Monte) are commonly used as a kind of tea in Mexican cuisine along with other popular edibles.

Join Quinta Mazatlán in celebrating Native Plant Month in Texas. Visit our gardens and attend special programs and native plant sales. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 5pm and Thursday evenings until 7pm. Follow Quinta Mazatlán on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok to learn more about out weekly programs for all ages. For more information, please call (956) 681-3370.