Mexican Pepperleaf (hoja santa) 5gm

Hoja Santa leaves are botanically classified as Piper auritum and are members of the Piperaceae, or pepper family. The name Hoja Santa translates from Spanish as “sacred leaf, is also known as Root Beer Plant, thanks to its aroma and flavor being reminiscent of sassafras, Mexican Pepperleaf, Sacred Pepper, False Kava, and Yerba Santa. In Nahuatl, Hoja Santa leaves are called Tlanepa or Tlanepaquelite, which translates as aromatic herbal medicine.

Linguistics out of the way, this herb is widely used in Mexican cooking. Mole Verde, soups like Pozole, in vinaigrette salad dressings and egg dishes are all popular ways to use Hoja Santa. It is also used as a herbal tea.

Hoja Santa’s flavour is rather hard to describe. Aromatic fragrant adjectives like anise with a hint of eucalyptus, a whisper of mint, black peppercorn and perhaps allspice. It really is like nothing else.