Hoja santa

Category: Food

Type

Voluntary

Introduction and description

 

Hoja santa (Piper auritum) is an aromatic herb with a heart-shaped, velvety leaf which grows in tropic Mesoamerica.

The name hoja santa means "sacred leaf" in Spanish. It is also known as yerba santa, hierba santa, Mexican pepperleaf, acuyo, tlanepa, anisillo, root beer plant, Vera Cruz pepper and sacred pepper.

It is native to the Americas, from northern South America to Mexico, and is also cultivated in southeast Florida.

Description

Piper auritum is a perennial which can grow to 10 ft .  The leaves can reach up to 30 centimeters (12 in) or more in size.  Small white spikes of flowers appear in the summer.   This attractive plant holds its large leaves horizontally around one or more thick central stalks.

Medicinal uses

 

Piper auritum has found use medicinally for both headaches and stomach aches – the observations provide more details. 

The leaf contains safrole and the FDA in the USA have decided safrole poses a health risk.  We have a section on safrole that you can read so that you can make up your own mind. 

Dr Duke's analysis of Hoja Santos shows it contain good levels of minerals and some important Vitamins such as Vitamin C and Beta carotene.

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases

Method

 

While typically used fresh, it is also used in dried form, "although drying removes much of the flavour and makes the leaf too brittle to be used as a wrapper".

The complex flavour of hoja santa is not so easily described; “it has been compared to a mixture of eucalyptus, liquorice, sassafras, anise, nutmeg, mint, tarragon, and black pepper”!  The flavour is stronger in the young stems and veins.

Savoury dishes

Hoya santa is often used in Mexican cuisine for tamales, the fish or meat wrapped in fragrant leaves for cooking, and as an essential ingredient in mole verde, the green sauce originated in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.  It is also chopped to flavour soups, such as pozole, and eggs.

The leaves are big enough to hold small wrapped packets enclosing pieces of food.  But in addition to being used as wrappers these are often pureed with other ingredients in sauces. 

Hoja santa goats cheese wrapped appetizers

Because they can be tough, Hoja Santa leaves are not good in salads. They need to be cooked, but they keep their flavour and remain green when heated.  A famous recipe from the Veracruz province (where the spice is particularly popular) is Pescado en Hoja Santa; fish wrapped in pepper leaves, baked and served with a spicy tomato sauce.

American cheesemaker Paula Lambert created "Hoja santa cheese", goat cheese wrapped with the hoja santa leaves and imbued with its flavour.

Hoja Santa-Wrapped Goat Cheese Appetizer

 Drinks

In Central Mexico, it is used to flavour chocolate drinks.  In southeastern Mexico, a green liquor called Verdín is made from hoja santa. It is also used for tea.

Related observations

Healing observations

• Anti-leishmanial activity in plants from a Biological Reserve of Costa Rica 019001
• Chemistry, cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of the essential oil from Piper auritum 019002
• Dr Duke's list of Chemicals and their Biological Activities in: Piper auritum HBK. (Piperaceae) -- Cordoncillo, Hierba Santa, Hoja Santa 018998
• Dr Duke's list of Plants containing Safrole 018559
• Effect of the hexane extract of Piper auritum on insulin release from β-cell and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat 018999
• In vitro antihelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts on excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica 019000

In time

Synaesthesia, Pure or enhanced perception, Inter composer communication, Vision, Dream, Perception recall, Exploring group perception

• Danielou, Alain – On drugs you are possessed by the spirit being of the drug 022582