So I said to the guy at the CSA pickup, “Got any cilantro?” and he says, “try this, papalo, it’s sort of like cilantro.” At least I think he said papalo. I wasn’t taking notes, and I should know by now always to take notes if I want to remember anything. He might have said pipicha. Whatever it was, it definitely started with a P, as in potent.
(That’s one of the cool things about Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance; even after a dozen years, they still offer things I haven’t tried before. This P herb was one of them.)
So I took the pretty little herb, with its velvety soft, scalloped leaves. The moment I broke off a couple of leaves to snip over some tomatoes, its powerful smell hit the olfactory. Curious, I thought. Then I ate my tomatoes. Whoa, this is definitely not cilantro. Yes, it has a hint of cilantro’s citrusy flavor, but it also has a penetrating taste that’s as pungent as its aroma, which is to say it overpowered the tomatoes. I tried it in a pasta dish that had lots of onions, and it overpowered the taste there, too, despite the fact I used only one leaf.
It took a little hunting, but I finally found the little herb online. The Cook’s Thesaurus clearly labels it pipicha. The Homesick Texan, however, says its papalo. Brooklynometry says pipicha. I was ready to go with the Texan since she comes from source, more or less, but finally The Gardeners Pantry pointed me to a page at Garden Mosaics, a a program of Cornell University, which is noted for its agricultural and horticultural programs. (Garden Mosaics, incidentally, looks to be a very cool program.) Garden Mosaics says it’s papalo, so I do, too.
Anybody out there use this stuff? I love cilantro, but, whew, papalo is going to take some getting used to!
I have only had papalo from one place – Taqueria Puebla in Chicago. When they have it, they put it on their cemitas – which are really fantastic. A cemita is a Mexican sandwich on a sesame seed roll, your choice of meat, avocado, chipotles, cheese (this stringy cheese from the region – either Pueblo or Oaxaca. I can’t remember which). Even with all of these really strong flavors, it only takes a little bit of papalo – it’s strong stuff! Here’s a link to a picture (a few posts down on the page):
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1786&p=13536&hilit=cemita#p13536
Hey, Rachel. Thanks for the link. Great photo. Thanks to you and to the Homesick Texan, I’ve learned more now about Puebla and food from there. Anyone else wanting to know more might want to check out the reports from Married with Dinner and from the CancunCanuck.
I’m so very curious about this herb. Haven’t seen it before nor tasted it. Looking forward to the dishes you’ll be making with it.
Hi Rachel,
I’m munching on apiece of Papalo right now. I am one of the “Loves It” group. It is a loveit, hate it taste.
I use to buy it from a small regional farmer here in Santa Barbara County (California) and now grow my own.
I use it in my fish tacos, New Orleans style red beans and rice and just thrown into a salad with avacado, red onion, tomato, and topped with a walnut oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. Amazing!
If you think you might like a pungent cross between Cilantro and watercress give it a shot. It doesn’t dry well as I’ve tried and it looses it’s potency. and mildews easily.
Hey, Christopher. Thanks for stopping by. Not sure I could handle papalo in a salad (in fact, I think I tried), but I did find at least one place I liked it, as I reported here.
Wow, thanks for this sites info on PAPALO.. Papalo was all I had to go on. I didn’t even have the spelling..
Glad I could help, Gordon! What did you do with yours?
I’m from Guerrero in Southern Mexico and I’m not sure but papalos and pipichas are native to this area, at least native to the culinary culture there.
You’re right, they’re actually papalos. That’s what we call them there. Pipichas are a different kind of herb with a stronger bolder taste. Papalos are lighter more savory and the leaves are softer. These are pipichas: http://www.saveursmexicaines.com/images/gallery/gall1171120720.jpg
We usually eat them on picaditas, tacos, with mole rojo, with any meats but never on salads. We place a bunch in a glass in the middle of the table like a flower vase and pinch off the leaves while we eat. ;o)
Thanks, Wizard. The two certainly don’t look alike! I’d heard about the tabletop availability. Love the concept.
This is the way I used it:
http://nicolepeyrafitte.com/blog/2009/09/16/papalo/
bon appetit!