Epazote

[chefswanny]

I've heard claims that the Mexican herb epezote helps ease gas when eaten with beans. Others have said this isn't true. Has anyone used/grown this herb with success? Also can this herb be grown in colder climates?

[RouxTheDay]

I've heard the same thing. It's true that epazote is at least a GI soother, so it's likely that it's also a mild anti-flatulent. Sage has the same reputation, and has been used for centuries as a tea for tummy upset.

Epazote is a perennial herb, native to Central America and thereabouts. It grows best in subtropical and warm temperate climates. As is true with a lot of warm-temperate perennial herbs, you could probably grow it as a summer annual in cooler climates if you get enough summer heat. Be careful, though. It tends to be invasive (i.e., a weed).

[KYHeirloomer]

Epozote's effectiveness works a little differently than sage.

Gas from beans and other veggies results from indigestible starches that ferment in the GI tract. Gas (specifically CO2) is one byproduct of fermentation.

What the epozote does is dissolve some of those starches, which then get poured away with the cooking water.

Sage, on the other hand, is a digestive, that reduces gas and the causes of stomach upset after the fact. Among others that act that way: ginger (probably the best), peppermint, catnip, and fennel.

Catnip is a very mild acting herb, which is why we use it for treating colic in babies.

[RouxTheDay]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

What the epozote does is dissolve some of those starches, which then get poured away with the cooking water.

Except in most traditional Mexican preparations, the cooking water is almost never poured away. Beans are also not typically not soaked first, another means of removing a small amount of the difficult-to-digests sugars. In my experience, epazote is not widely used, though. It seems to be more of a regional thing. Among my many Mexican friends who've taught me about their traditional cooking over the years, only a very few used it. But they always put it in the cooking water, which was not discarded. They told me about the gas thing, but mainly used it for its flavor, which is distinctive -- kind of reminds me of fennel, but different. Not everybody likes it.

Anyway, you should be able to get seeds from a catalogue or on-line vendor. I'd give it a try. What have you got to lose?

[FR33_MASON]

Chenopodium ambrosoides This plant lends it's self to grow easily in almost any condition except shade. keep soil moist BUT DO READ UP ON THIS PLANT. the essential oils and seed can be toxic and has even caused death.