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What do you know, it’s papalo!

There’s a certain scent I associate with Mexico that I’ve always assumed was laundry detergent. It’s overly pungent and heavy, with hints of citrus and mint. It’s the kind of smell that wafts into your nose and lingers there for hours, overpowering anything else with which your olfactory senses come into contact. I’ve smelled it in grocery stores in Guanajuato and outside of domestic kitchens in Mexico City not to mention in some of the Mexican neighborhoods here in NYC. I don’t know why I assumed the smell came from soap, I just did.

Last week, I found myself in Jackson Heights and I stopped into the charming El Sol de Azteca to grab a bite to eat. They had cemitas on the menu—a Pueblan sandwich stuffed with spicy pork, red onions, chipotles, lettuce, avocados and that Mexican string cheese called quesillo all piled high on a sesame seed bun.

I’d never had one and was curious how it compared to a torta, another Mexican sandwich. I took a bite and was pleased by the crisp, buttery bun and the spice and juice from the meat and vegetables, but there was a hint of that smell, that funky flavor that I always assumed was detergent. I took the sandwich apart and found an herb. After tasting it, I realized that it was the source of that flavor. That smell wasn’t detergent, it was a plant!

I asked the waitress in my rusty Spanish what was the name of the herb. She smiled and said, “Papalo!” Papalo. Who knew? I finished my sandwich trying to savor this new flavor, but couldn’t quite work my head around the fact that what I always thought was soap was actually an herb. I now understood how those who can’t stand cilantro feel.

Salsa verde with papalo | Homesick Texan

After doing some research, I learned that papalo is an ancient plant, found all over Mexico, the American Southwest and parts of South America. The Bolivians swear by it, eating it almost daily as it’s said to possess medicinal qualities such as the ability to lower blood pressure. In Mexico, it’s most prominently used in the state of Puebla, primarily in cemitas. But many restaurants keep vases with bunches of papalo on tables, so patrons can snip and add it to any dish they like. It’s also found in tacos, salads, salsas, and guacamole. Yet, as beloved as it may be it’s not for nothing that it’s also known as mampuitu, or skunk.

Papalo is something of an acquired taste and as I hope to spend time in Puebla this spring, I decided I’d better learn to like it. I thought finding it in stores would be easy, but after searching countless places, it wasn’t until I walked into a Bravo Supermarket that I met with success. (These supermarkets are all over NYC and they cater to the Hispanic community. Therefore, if you’re looking for cow hooves, chicken feet, all parts of the pig, cecina, chiles, tortilla presses, etc.—this is the store for you.)

When I walked through the doors, I was blasted by that familiar smell. I followed my nose to the produce section and picked up a bag—one of many on display. I was disappointed, however, as all the papalo for sell appeared to be covered in brown spots. I spoke to a man working in the produce section and asked him if they had fresher papalo in the back. He shook his head and said, “No, but this is very fresh.”

“Are you sure,” I said. “It’s covered in brown spots.”

“Those are the glands that make the smell,” he said.

Salsa verde with papalo | Homesick Texan

Who knew that plants had glands? I took my bag of papalo home and tried making different things. I first made a small salad with the leaves, but this was a bit much—a little goes a long way. I then decided to make a salsa verde with tomatillos and avocado. While I’d normally use cilantro, I decided to use papalo instead. It was almost the same as I’m used to, but still a bit strange. So while I’m not quite convinced that I’m a fan of this herb, I did enjoy the salsa. And perhaps, over time, I’ll grow to love papalo as much as I love cilantro. I certainly hope I can learn to at least live with it, as a cemita is one heck of a sandwich and I’d hate to not enjoy eating those as they were meant to be.

Do you have any experience with papalo? What are your thoughts? And have you ever cooked with it?

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5 from 5 votes

Salsa verde with papalo

Servings 2 cups
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped tomatillos
  • 2 tablespoons papao leaves, chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
  • 3 Serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Juice from 1/2 lime
  • Salt

Instructions

  • Throw the tomatillos, papalo, avocado, Serrano chiles, garlic, and lime juice in a blender and mix well. Taste and add salt. 

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Recipe Rating




71 Comments

  1. Elizabeth says:

    I love papalos! We live in Chicago. My parents started growing them in our back yard I’d say about 25 years ago. I have a son 19 years old that loves them! I harvest them everyday as soon as they are in season and keep them on my kitchen table usually until the end of fall. I use them in most of my sandwiches instead of lettuce. To Me It gives foods besides Mexican food an extra kick.

  2. My husband saw a post recently for papalo on Facebook Marketplace. Since it said that it was similar to cilantro, but did not bolt, I was interested. I bought some, loved it, and then bought some seeds. I now have 100 plants andI am picking leaves and freezing them for future Salsa’s and other sauces, Etc.

    I too will tear a sandwich apart looking for strange flavors and ask questions. How else are you going to find out what that taste is you like?

    I’d like to comment on that detergent smell in many Mexican restaurants or stores. I have never walked into either one and smelled popolo.I have however walked in and immediately smelled Fabuloso, a detergent used to clean and mop the floors. I personally like the smell and use it in my house as well.

    As for papalo, I hope to see some restaurants near me use it in their dishes/salsas!

    Tonight we are having roasted chicken with a tomato, papalo, garlic, onion, olive oil, kosher salt salsa on top.

  3. R. Bowling says:

    I had dinner at a friends house in Puebla. Her mother had prepared fish, baked in a foil pouch, along with 2-3 whole papalo leaves. The papalo gave the fish a very unique flavor and was very delicious.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      R.–What a great recipe idea. I will have to try that! Thank you for sharing!

  4. 5 stars
    Wow, thanks for posting and sharing. I live in Jackson Heights, and our CSA has or will provide pipicho & papalo. The pipicho smell drives me bonkers! I’ll see if diluting the herbs in this salsa helps.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Anita–You’re welcome! It’s pungent but diluting it in a salsa does help.

  5. I discovered papalo a few years ago when I began gardening and learned that cilantro won’t grow in southeast Texas in the warm weather (which is about 12 months of the year here). I grew papalo that first year and it has “volunteered” in my garden every year since then. I’ve never had to plant it a 2nd time but always have a ton each Spring/Summer. One thing I’ve noticed is that I never have any insects on it, while plants right next to it can have insects all over them. I even had some ants coming into my kithen from outside and I coincidentally was washing some papalo to get it ready to freeze dry, and ALL of the ants disappeared. Now I keep a couple of leaves behind my sink all the time.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Rachael–That’s good to know about its natural insect repelling qualities! And it’s always fun to see volunteers appear in your yard and garden!