Hispanic Herbs And Seasonings

Traditional Mexican cooking uses a wide variety of herbs, greens and seasonings.  Many of us think of chiles when we think of Mexican food but there are many more flavorings which you may not yet be familiar.

Browse the list and click on an image or title to view more information about the ingredient, including recipes, where to buy and ingredient substitutions. 

Hispanic Herbs And Flavorings

	Achiote paste A combination of crushed achiote seed, vinegar, salt, garlic and spices which ...
	Adobo sauce A tart and rather sour sauce made of ground chiles, herbs, and vinegar.
	Adobo seasoning A Latino spice mixture used in various countries including Mexico. A typical ...
	Avocado pit, dried Avocado pits are dried then grated with a fine grater and used in enchilada ...
	Berros (Berro ) Berro is the Spanish word for watercress. The variety pictured is what we commonly find in Mexican produce markets
	Boldo leaves (Hojas de boldo) Originally from Chile, boldo leaves are sometimes used in Mexico for making ...
	Chaya leaves Chaya also know as Jatropha aconitifolia or Cnidoscolus Chayamansa is similar ...
	Chepiche Porophyllum tagetoides, Chepiche is related to papaloquelite an aromatic Mexican ...
	Chepil An important ingredient in Oaxacan cooking chepil or chepilin is a legume with ...
	Chimichurri A specialty of Argentina, chimichurri is a sauce made from olive oil, vinegar, ...
	Chipotle hot sauce A commercially prepared hot pepper sauce made from chipotle chiles, vinegar ...
	Chipotles in adobo sauce Chipotle chiles (smoked jalapeno chiles) are canned in a red sauce that typically ...
	Cilantro This member of the carrot family is also referred to as Chinese Parsley and ...
	Epazote An herb well-known to Mexican and Caribbean cooking. The name comes from the ...
	Epazote, dried An herb well-known to Mexican and Caribbean cooking. The name comes from the ...
	Hoya santa Piper sanctum, a large leaf used in southern Mexico. The hoya santa leaf is ...
	Jamaican jerk A pungent Jamaican spice mixture of allspice berries, onion, scallions, Scotch ...
	Mexican bay leaf Litsea glaucescens, or Mexican Bay Laurel is the bay leaf grown in Mexico and ...
	Mexican oregano Lippia graveolens, Mexican oregano is not true oregano but a small bushy shrub ...
	Mole Mole, pronounced (MOH-leh) is from the Nahuatl word molli , meaning "concoction, ...
	Mole paste Mole paste is a mixture of rehydrated dried chiles, nuts, bread, garlic, and ...
	Papalo Papalo also called Papaloquelite porophyllum ruderale or macrocephalum. An ...
	Pico de gallo A Mexican condiment, a type of salsa cruda made from onions, chiles, tomatoes, ...
	Pipicha A slender, aromatic herb from Oaxaca, Mexico. The herb is used chopped to top enchiladas and beans. Look for this herb in Mexican markets and some farmer's markets.
	Quelites Quelites is the Mexican word for a wild greens. Several greens that fall under this category include Chaya, huauzontles, guajes, and quintonil.
	Romerito A coastal succulent plant (Suaeda torreyana) used as a green in Mexico.  A typical use is a Lenten dish (romeritos) made with dried shrimp, formed into patties and served with a mole sauce.
	Safflower Safflower or Azafran is the dried flower of the (Carthamus tinctorius). It ...
	Salsa Literally means "sauce" a salsa refers to a large variety of Hispanic condiments that vary from smooth to chunky.  A salsa may be a simple as two or three ingredients and some are more complex.  Com
	Sazon Seasoning Sazon is a type of seasoned salt found in Spanish and Mexican markets. The ...
	Taco Sauce A rather generic term for a smooth sauce made with tomatoes, chiles and spices. La Victoria has been making a commercially available sauce since 1917.
	Taco Seasoning A dry seasoning mix added to ground meat (or vegetables) used as a filling for tacos and other savory dishes.