Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides, formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides) is an herb commonly known as Wormseed, Jesuit's Tea, Mexican Tea, or Herba Sancti Mariæ. It is native to Central America, South America, and southern Mexico. Epazote is grown in warm temperate to subtropical areas of Europe and the United States. It can be an invasive weed.
Epazote, 1.2 m tall, is an annual or short-lived perennial plant, with irregular branches and oblong-lanceolate leaves of up to 12 cm long. Its flowers are small and green, produced in a branched panicle at the apex of the stem.
Epazote is used as an herb for its pungent flavor and also as a leaf vegetable. When raw, epazote has a resinous, medicinal pungency, similar to anise, fennel, or terragon, but stronger. It also produce a strong and indescribable fragrance, and has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint and camphor.
Epazote has been traditionally used with black beans for flavor and its carminative properties. It is also used to flavor other Mexican dishes, such as to season quesadillas and sopes (especially those containing huitlacoche), soups, mole de olla, tamales with cheese and chili, eggs, chilaquiles, potatoes and enchiladas. Epazote is said to have the ability to prevent not only flatulence caused by eating beans, but also in treatments of amenorrhea, malaria, dysmenorrhea, chorea, hysteria, catarrh and asthma.
Oil of chenopodium is derived from this plant. It has antihelminthic property, which can kills intestinal worms. It is also an antispasmodic and abortifacient. An extract of epazote is the active ingredient of the pesticide Requiem.
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