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Epazote

An aromatic herb with a distinctive resinous flavor, commonly used in Mexican beans, soups, and stews.

Epazote — illustrative ingredient image

About Epazote

Epazote is a strongly aromatic leafy herb used especially in Mexican cooking and in other regional dishes. Fresh leaves and tender stems are added to beans, soups, stews, quesadillas, vegetable dishes, and sauces, either during cooking or as a finishing herb. It is usually used in modest amounts because its aroma is assertive.

Fresh epazote has a resinous, pungent flavour with herbal notes and a distinctive aroma. Young leaves are generally more tender, while older leaves and thicker stems can be coarser and stronger. Drying reduces the fresh green quality and changes the aroma, though dried epazote remains useful in long-cooked dishes.

It is sold fresh in bunches or dried as whole leaves, flakes, or a packaged herb. Fresh sprigs may be rinsed and have coarse stems removed before chopping. Dried leaves can be crumbled directly into a pot, where simmering softens them and spreads their flavour through the dish.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where epazote appears

21 linked foods

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Main dishes

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for epazote

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Epazote

English

EPAZOTE LEAF

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Epazote, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Epazote nutrition & diet

Epazote nutritional value

Epazote, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
32kcal
Protein
0.3g
Carbs
7.4g
Fat
0.5g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the leaves and tender stems as the edible portion, fresh or dried according to the recipe. Because epazote is usually used as a flavoring herb, the amount in a dish is typically small; reference the herb itself separately from beans, oil, salt, or broth.

Compare the right form: Match fresh epazote leaves and tender stems or dried epazote leaves, clearly identifying the form; do not substitute another aromatic herb.

Diet considerations

Epazote is a plant-derived herb and is compatible with plant-based use when plain. In traditional bean dishes, dietary compatibility is determined by added lard, meat, stock, cheese, or cereal-based accompaniments. Fresh and dried forms may differ in recipe concentration, while the portion remains seasoning-sized.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Epazote, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .