Ear-leafed pepper, Mexican pepper leaf
A tropical plant. It suits seasonally moist, moderate rainfall. It can grow in an average, well-drained soil. It can grow in full sun or light shade. In Costa Rica it grows from sea level to about 1,700 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Also known as:
Acuja, Acuyo, Anisillo, Bullhoof pepper, Caisimon, Cordoncillo, Hierba santa, Hoja de estrella, Hoja de Santa Maria, Hoja Santa, Makulan, Mexican pepper leaf, Root beer plant, Sacred pepper, Santamaria, Tlanepa, Ugudi bagasu, Yerba santa
Synonyms
- Artanthe aurita (Kunth) Miq.
- Artanthe seemanniana Miq.
- Piper alstonii Trel.
- Piper auritilaminum Trel.
- Piper auritilimbum Trel.
- Piper auritum var. amplifolium C.DC.
- Piper auritum var. seemannianum (Miq.) Trel.
- Piper heraldi Trel.
- Piper heraldi var. amplius Trel.
- Piper heraldi var. cocleanum Trel.
- Piper perlongipes Trel.
- Piper rafaeli Trel.
- Schilleria aurita (Kunth) Kunth
Edible Portion
- Leaves, Stem, Leaves - tea, Flower spikes - flavouring
Where does Ear-leafed pepper grow?
Found in: Amazon, Belize, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Micronesia, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, South America, Suriname, West Indies
Notes: There are between 1000-2000 Piper species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Status: It is a cultivated food plant. Leaves are sold in local markets.
Growing Ear-leafed pepper, Mexican pepper leaf
Cultivation: It can spread by suckers. Seeds are also scattered by bats.
Edible Uses: The leaves are used to flavour soups and other dishes. It has the smell and flavour of sarsaparilla. It is used to flavour wild game such as armadillo, freshwater snails and is wrapped around dough. CAUTION: Hoja santa oil contains saffrole which can cause cancer. It should therefore only be used in small amounts. The young leaves are sometimes cooked and eaten as greens.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Ear-leafed pepper, Mexican pepper leaf Photos
References
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