Piper auritum
H. B. Kunth
Ear-leafed pepper, Mexican pepper leaf
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(c) Juan Cruzado Cortés, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Juan Cruzado Cortés
(c) Andy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Andy
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Stem, Leaves - tea, Flower spikes - flavouring
It is often used in Mexican cuisine in tamales, fish or meat wrapped in its fragrant leaves for cooking, and as an essential ingredient in mole verde, a green sauce originally from the Puebla/Oaxaca region of Mexico. It is also used to flavor eggs and soups like pozole. In Central Mexico, it is used to flavor chocolate drinks. In southeastern Mexico, a green liquor called verdín is made from hoja santa. While typically used fresh, it is also used dried, although the drying process removes much of the flavor and makes the leaf too brittle to be used as a wrapper.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It suits seasonally moist, moderate rainfall. It can grow in an average, well-drained soil. It can grow in full sun or light shade. In Costa Rica it grows from sea level to about 1,700 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Amazon, Belize, Caribbean, Central America*, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Micronesia, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, South America*, Suriname, West Indies,
How to Identify
A herb or small tree. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 2-5 m tall. The stems are swollen at the nodes. It has large heart shaped leaves. They are 30 cm long. The sides at the base are unequal. The leaves taper to the tip and are softly hairy. The leaf stalk has wings. The leaves have an anise scent. The flowers are white. They are on erect, slender spikes. These droop at the ends. They are 15-28 cm long. This flower stalk is produced opposite a leaf. The fruit is small and fleshy.
Nutrition Score: 29/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves - dry | 4.4 | — | — | 29.8 | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
It can spread by suckers. Seeds are also scattered by bats.
Other Information
It is a cultivated food plant. Leaves are sold in local markets.
Notes
There are between 1000-2000 Piper species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Names & Synonyms
Acuja, Acuyo, Aguiyu, Anisillo, Bullhoof pepper, Caisimon, Cordoncillo, Hierba santa, Hoja de estrella, Hoja de Santa Maria, Hoja Santa, Kauput, Makulan, Mexican pepper leaf, Root beer plant, Sacred pepper, Santamaria, Sika tara, Tlanepa, Ugudi bagasu, Vera Cruz pepper, Yerba santa
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