Izote flower, an exquisite Mexican tradition

The shade-grown coffee plantations of the state of Veracruz bring a vibrant tropical ecosystem to life. Exotic plants, both endemic and introduced to this environment, are featured in a beautiful show.

Many of the trees, herbs, and flowers that live inside and around sustainable coffee plantations are edible and medicinal. Women producers use these elements in multiple ways. Ancient traditions and wisdom accompany them. 

The izote flower has stood out in Mexican gastronomy since pre-Hispanic times. It's also known as a yucca flower or cuaresmeña flower, because it blooms between February and April so it is usually consumed during Lent. Although in some places, such as Veracruz, it blooms until July.

From the Nahuatl textli, flour or corn masa dough, and mulli, mole. Tesmole is a warm broth dish or stew made with meat, vegetables and herbs, and thickened with corn masa dough or a root vegetable.

The base ingredients for preparing this Mexican dish are: a bunch of izote flowers, corn masa dough, red tomatoes, onion, garlic, serrano chilis, epazote (Mexican herb) and chicken. Tesmole is prepared in the regional cuisines of Chiapas, Coahuila, State of Mexico, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. In each of these states, and in each kitchen, other local and favorite ingredients are introduced and combined.

Mrs. Elpi, as her loved ones call her, tells us all about the izote flower. In these communities, the flower is collected freely on the fields. "If you see one in your path, you take it home." And a very important consideration for the chefs: "You only boil the leaves of the flower, because the center becomes bitter."