Epazote (pronounced eh-pah-ZOH-teh) is an aromatic herb; both the fresh leaves and tender stems are used in cooking. The epazote plant is a leafy annual or short-lived perennial plant that can reach 4 feet in height. Its dark green, long, slender, jagged leaves end in a point. The flowers are green and very small; they produce thousands of tiny seeds. As an herb, it is suitable for gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and paleo diets. The plant self-seeds easily and the seeds can also be used to season food. It is often used with beans to aid digestion.
The scientific name is dysphania ambrosioides and it is also known as wormseed, Jesuit’s tea, Mexican-tea,payqu (paico), and mastruz. The variety we have seems to go to seed at about 1 foot tall at most.