Mexican Herb Selection - Seed kit

Mexico exudes vibrancy and diversity, manifested also in its cooking traditions: Hot chilli peppers are at the core of any true Mexican dish, fresh coriander leaves, pepper, vanilla and epazote are equally important. Cultural influences by the Aztecs and the culinary customs brought in by the Spanish conquerors infuse Mexican kitchen with special aromas.

All those spices and herbs are rarely readily commercially available in Europe. Fortunately, most of them are easy to grow and do well in large pots or planters on windowsills, the balcony or on the terrace.

Seeds for 4 essential culinary herbs for traditional Mexican cooking:

• Mexican basil (Ocimum basilicum)
  Despite its famous namesake, Mexican basil only just about carries a hint of the Italian basil flavour. Its aroma is quite unique and includes notes of cinnamon and aniseed, with an underlying hotness.
• Bolivian coriander/ pápalo (Porophyllum ruderale ssp. macrocephalum)
  Bolivian coriander is a traditional Aztec herb, which resembles the flavours of leaf coriander and is an essential ingredient not to be missed in any salsas.
• Wormseed/ epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides)
  Wormseed adds a lovely lemony note to any bean dish and is very refreshing drunk as tea.
• Cilantro/ leaf coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
  Cilantro is the 'parsley' of Mexican and Asian cooking. Always only ever add the freshly chopped leaves just before serving the food.

The seeds of each variety are packaged in a separate sachet.