Epazote.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
From: rastapoo.mailhost.winnet.net (Rastapoodle)
Date: 21 Dec 1995 16:30:10 GMT
Subject: Re: Epsote (Epazote)

>Does anyone know anything about this herb. It is used in several bulk granolas I get from Fred Meyer stores in the Puget Sound area.

Epasote in granola? I can't imagine what that must taste like! Epasote is a Mexican herb traditionally added to bean dishes about 15 minutes before the beans are done cooking -- it helps cut down on the gas produced by the beans. The herb has a strong, almost turpentine-like flavor, so it is used sparingly.

Sometimes cheese quesadillas have a few epasote leaves added for a unique flavor. I have grown the herb for a few years, and it is a fast grower, unsightly, but highly valued for its gas-reducing qualities. I think I remember an herbalist/nutritionist on the radio once saying that something in epasote helps break down the double glucoside in the skins of the beans, the major culprit in the gut of humans. Hope this helps.