I've never experienced this variety of coriander, but I'm sure I will one day when I visit South America.
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Bolivian coriander plant | Bolivian coriander leaves and flower buds | Bolivian coriander leaf showing oil glands |
| Species: | Porophyllum ruderale. |
Origin: | South America. |
Source: | Porophyllum ruderale is a culinary and medicinal herb originating in Bolivia, where the native Quechua people call it quillquiña (also spelled quirquiña) or more commonly killi and have eaten it as an important part of their diet for millennia. Bolivian coriander also grows wild in Mexico where it is known as pápaloquelite (often abbreviated to pápalo) or tepegua and it is cultivated in Northern parts of South America as well as in Central America and the southern parts of North America. It is found wild (escaped from cultivation) in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, but is typically not used by local inhabitants who substitute Mexican imports instead. |
Used Part: | Leaves, normally only used fresh. |
Family: | Asteracaea (daisy family). |
Effect: | As with cilantro "common coriander", Bolivian coriander is described as fresh, green, tangy and even citrusy. The herb is similarly pungent and, like common coriander, is an acquired taste. |
Etymology: | Genus name porophyllum means "porous leaf", from the Greek pōros "pore" and phyllon "leaf", a description of the plant's leaves (cf. the English common name "poreleaf"). Species name ruderale is derived from New Latin ruderalis, from Old Latin rudera and -alis, meaning "a plant growing in rubbish or in a waste place". |
The name pápalo is derived from Náhuatl (the original Aztec tongue) pápaloquelite, from papalotl "butterfly" and quelite "a plant with edible leaves" or "greens". In Spanish the plant is referred to as mampuitu which translates to "skunk", c.f. Náhuatl epatl "skunk". | |
Uses: | Bolivian coriander or quillquiña is an herbaceous plant whose leaves can be used as a seasoning. The taste has been described as "somewhere between rocket, coriander and rue". The plant is commonly grown in Mexico and South America. |
In Mexico the leaves are typically used raw to flavour tacos filled with carnitas "pork" or guacamole. It is also used in a Puebla specialty which uses a semita roll stuffed with meat avocado tomatoes and sometimes chillies. The leaves are used fresh with soups and stews, grilled meats, salsas, beans and salads in much the same way as common coriander is used elsewhere in the world. | |
A typical recipe for pápalo salsa involves mixing roasted and deseeded chopped chillies, roasted and deseeded green bell peppers, chopped green tomatoes, roasted garlic cloves, pápalo leaves, lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt and minced onion, blended and chilled for an hour before serving. | |
As the flavorants of Bolivian coriander are volatile, the leaves should be used raw and in any event not be cooked for more than a few seconds. |