| Huauzontle Chenopodium nuttalliae |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Subfamily: | Chenopodioideae |
| Genus: | Chenopodium |
| Species: | C. nuttalliae |
| Binomial name | |
| Chenopodium nuttalliae |
|
Huauzontle, Chenopodium nuttalliae, is a Mexican vegetable related to the common American weed goosefoot, that vaguely resembles broccoli although the stems are much thinner and support fewer of the leaves.
As with other members of the goosefoot family, huauzontle is edible and it is typically prepared in a manner similar to spinach or broccoli. Alternatively, huauzontles can be encased in an egg batter and deep fried with a stick of salty Mexican cheese.
The plant Chenopodium nuttalliae is closely related to Chenopodium quinoa from the Andes (known as quinoa), but a different part of the plant is harvested. With huauzontle the inflorescence is eaten, but with quinoa, a pseudograin, though the greens are edible it is primarily the seed that is harvested for food.[1]