PlantFiles: Berlandier's Goosefoot, Pitseed Goosefoot, Southern Huauzontle
Chenopodium berlandieri

This is an ancient pre-hispanic
food eaten by the native mexican
tribes. Eaten as a fresh or
cooked green vegetable, as a
cooked grain porridge or ground
into a flour.

Succulent leaves resemble
lambsquarter and are eaten raw
when young.

Thrives in hot weather without
bolting.

When the plant matures the leaves
turn fiery red and can be harvested
with the immature seed head for
braising.

The bright red color is retained after
cooking. (30-40 days for raw greens;
60-100 days for cooked greens and
tops)

MEXICAN SPICES - HUAZONTLE : "..Looking like an elongated version of broccoli, and with a similar flavor, this pre-Hispanic plant was first prepared by the Aztecs and other indigenous people of Central Mexico. The rough outer leaves are always removed, and the tender tips are usually served stuffed with cheese, batter-dipped and fried. Alternatively, they can be sauteed with chopped onion and garlic..." ..Plants For A Future: Database Search Results :"..However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish... The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition...".