Chef Hugo Mendez with epazote
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By Kathleen Furore and Glen Avis
One word kept coming to mind when Simonne Carrasco and her husband, Chef Hugo Mendez, were deciding on a name for the restaurant they planned to open in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“We chose the name Epazote because it represents everything we stand for — authenticity, tradition, and deep-rooted Mexican culinary heritage,” Carrasco explains. “Epazote is one of the most essential herbs in traditional Mexican cooking. It’s not just a trendy ingredient — it’s been used for generations in home kitchens across Mexico to bring out bold, comforting flavors.”
It is that commitment to preserving tradition that defines the menu at this family-owned Mexican restaurant that debuted in April 2023.
“Our menu reflects the spirit of home-cooked meals, rooted in culture and family recipes,” Carrasco says. “Chef Hugo adds his culinary expertise and vibrant presentation to every dish, but we always stay true to the classics.”
On the Menu
While epazote is an integral ingredient in Mexican cuisine, many people outside of the culinary universe don’t know much (if anything) about the herb — even though it can significantly and deliciously alter the taste of popular items on restaurant menus.
Simonne Carrasco and Chef Hugo Mendez
“Epazote has a very unique, distinct and bold flavor that is hard to compare to any single herb. It is considered pungent and earthy,” says Chef Hugo, who notes that the herb has been used since the time of the Aztecs. “It cuts through rich dishes like beans and quesadillas. It's not subtle, but it brings unique balance and depth that isn’t similar to anything else.”
The fact that fresh epazote can be hard to find doesn’t faze this chef, who uses the fresh herb to flavor the restaurant’s sopa de tortilla and esquites.
“Since fresh epazote is scarce, we grow it ourselves to ensure it’s always fresh and authentic as possible,” he says. “We grow it at the restaurant to give our dishes that real bold flavor I believe you just can't get from the dried version. Fresh is the only way to capture the earthy, funky kick that makes traditional Mexican dishes truly authentic.”
Oaxaca-inspired El Epazote Cocina Regional in Madera, California is another restaurant that embraces its namesake herb, not only in the kitchen but also prominently on its home page.
“Epazote – an extraordinary aromatic herb – was always present in the home cooked meals prepared by our mothers in Oaxaca, Mexico,” the website says. “Being a versatile herb, we would enjoy epazote through the change of seasons with quesadillas and squash flowers, empanadas in green sauce, seafood soup, and yellow mole. And we’re honored and proud to bring epazote to you throughout our delicious menu!”
That delicious menu features epazote-enhanced dishes including the Empanada de Amarillo (a homemade corn tortilla filled with shredded chicken, mole amarillo, Oaxacan cheese [quesillo], and epazote) and the Quesadilla Oaxaqueña (a homemade corn tortilla filled with Oaxaca cheese and a choice of pumpkin flower [seasonal], huitlacoche-corn truffle, or mushrooms, then topped with epazote and salsa verde).
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SIDEBAR 1: About the Herb
The epazote plant grows up to 4 feet high and has dark green jagged leaves and flowers with thousands of tiny seeds. The plant is native to China, Pakistan, Russia, Turkestan, and Kyrgyzstan and is now grown throughout the world. Depending on location, it is called stinky sweat, pazote, ipasote, apazote, hierba hedionda, pazoli, paico, goosefoot, skunk weed, or wormseed. It is readily found in the wild, especially along stream beds. It is also easily cultivated from wild seeds in moist soil.
SIDEBAR 2: Recipes with Epazote
Looking for recipes that include epazote? Here are three from el Restaurante’s archives:
Elotes Recipe created by Chef Manny Barella for Bellota, Denver*
Tortillas de Huazontle Recipe created by Chef Rafael Rios, Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico in Rogers, Arizona
Epazote and Hoja Santa Ice Cream Recipe created by Chef German Garcia Tamez, executive chef of the Monterrey campus of the Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM); courtesy of Kendall College, Chicago
*Now located in Boulder, Colorado; Denver location now closed
Bellota Esquites
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