Epazote

Also know as Mexi-can tea, wormseed and stinkweed.

Epazote can normally be found fresh in Mexican grocery stores or is available air-dried. WARNING: Epazote can be toxic especially during pregnancy.

Often, the first time a person tastes epazote, they feel an instant dislike - almost a gag reflex for some. Given time, most people will acquire a taste for it. Epazote is an essential ingredient in authentic Mexican cuisine.

Herbs and Spices | Dried and Fresh Peppers | Garlic, Leeks and Onions

Epazote is a plant used in Mexico for seasoning black beans, corn, fish, chile sauces and some tortilla dishes. It has a very strong and unusual creosote type odor. The taste is most definitely an aquired one.

Most people have never heard of epazote, however, you have probably tasted it and wondered exactly what it was. Epazote is the leaf in black beans and that great lemony aftertaste in an authentic salsa.