Bulk Herbs: Epazote Herb
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Format: Herb
Size: 1 oz package
Also Known as: skunkweed, Wormseed, Mexican tea, West Indian goosefoot, Jerusalem parsley, Hedge mustard, Sweet pigweed
Farming Type: NA
Origin: Mexico
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.
Native to Central America, epazote has been grown for culinary and medicinal purposes for countless generations. This herb is used in everyday cooking in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula among the Mayan-speaking peoples. Epazote has spread as a weed (growing in empty lots and by roadsides) throughout a large part of North and South America and even into Europe and Asia.
The word epazote derives from Nahuatl, the language spoken by Mexican Aztecs and their ancestors. A literal translation to English would be something like “stinky sweat” (not very appetizing!). In some parts of Mexico and Guatemala, the plant is called pazote, ipasote, apazote, hierba hedionda (“stinky weed”), pazoli, and pizate, In Peru, it is known as paico, a word that comes from Quechua. In English it is sometimes called goosefoot, skunk weed, wormseed, or Mexican tea; the last two of these terms allude to its medicinal use to combat intestinal parasites. Epazote has a strong, pungent and medicinal taste.
Note: Epazote is poisonous in large doses — it contains Terpene peroxide ascaridole and can cause convulsions, coma, nausea, headache, etc. The flowers and seeds contain much of the toxin. Pregnant women should avoid Epazote. DO NOT take this herb internally unless you are under the care of a physician or herbalist.
In Magick, Epazote is considered a cleansing herb - as it can cleanse you both inside and out. It can also be used in hex-breaking and it's strong mars influence packs a punch of energy!
For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.