Epazote is an herb well-known to Mexican and Caribbean cooking. The name comes from the Aztec (Nahuatl) epazotl. It is also known as pigweed or Mexican tea and is frequently regarded as a garden pest.
Epazote is used in soups, stews and beans. It is commonly used in black bean recipes to ward off some of the "negative" side affects of eating beans. Much like cilantro, it is referred to as an "acquired taste". The herb is quite pungent and some say it smells like gasoline or kerosene. You can read more about epazote here.
You can typically purchase fresh epazote in Mexican markets. The dried version is can be purchased here at Gourmetsleuth.com.
If you don't have epazote you can substitute:
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