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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Milkweed Bud Huazontles

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Milkweed bud huazontles recipe

Traditional Mexican dumplings stuffed with cheese and simmered in a mild chili sauce are one of the best things I’ve made with milkweed buds to date.

Huazontles (What-Zohnt-Lays). The word just sounds interesting. The name is dense, filled with far more than you’d expect from a word used to describe what’s basically a rustic plant dumpling stuffed with cheese.

The name huazontle itself is an ancient one, derived from the Indigenous South American Nahuatl language, meaning it pre-dates Spanish colonization, by how long isn’t clear, but a few thousand years is definitely within the realm of possibility. 

Huazontles (like a few other things around the world I’ve been collecting for a new speech) is a perfect example of what I’ve been calling a “polynoun”-a word used to describe multiple things in cultural culinary lexicon. In this case, the name can refer to a specific plant (Chenopodium nuttalliae) a specific part of the plant used for food (unripe flowers in this case) as well as numerous traditional dishes made from different parts of the plant.

Huazontles picture

A fun Huazontle infographic. Image Credit: www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx

To begin to appreciate huazontles in all their glory, to really appreciate them, it’s probably helpful to consider the Aztecs and indigenous peoples of Mexico for a minute, whose cultivation of different chenopods (amaranth, lambs quarters etc) as food plants is well known.

Edible common milkweed buds of Asclepias syriaca

A nice field of common milkweed buds.

Just like other cultures around the world, ancient growers may have noticed the occasional variations of plants they liked and gathered seeds of good performers or anomalies to get more of what they wanted, like one plant that grew larger than its bothers and sisters, for example.

This could be the case with Chenopodium nuttalliae, a large variety of lamb’s quarters known colloquially across Mexico as huazontles (huauhzontle, huanzontle, guausoncle and Aztec spinach are synomyms). Chenopodium quinoa seems to be a close relative, and there’s been speculation that the two could have come from a single, ancestral South American plant. 

Edible milkweed flower buds

Unripe milkweed flower buds aren’t the same as Huazontles from lamb’s quarters, but they work well here.

C. nuttalliae (and presumably other lambs quarters that grow to a large size) may have offered larger edible leafy greens than smaller plants, but their size also yields a additional harvest: the unripe round seed heads, which look a little like broccoli on a stick.

Milkweed bud huazontles, ready to cook

Milkweed bud Huazontles. Just think little hand-formed dumplings.

The unripe greens flowers are present on other, more common lambs quarters too, but their smaller size, at least in my opinion, makes harvesting them slightly less efficient for people interested in eating them. With a good patch of your local, common lamb’s quarters, it’s possible to gather the green flowers in some volume, but I haven’t done it myself.

Browning huazontles made from milkweed buds

After forming, the dumplings are dipped in flour, then beaten egg, and browned.

A casual google (or even better, a search on You Tube for dumpling-making Abuelitas) will quickly bring up a bunch of videos and articles from Mexico (link to my favorite Abuelita from De mi Rancho a tu Cocina at the bottom of the page). One thing’s for sure: Huazontles are a very traditional food. 

Cooking milkweed bud huazontles in chili sauce

After browning, the dumplings are simmered in a mild chili sauce.

About now, you’re probably understanding where the milkweed buds come into play here. I don’t have C. nuttalliae near me (Hank Shaw grows it, of course) but milkweed buds are legion, and their shape and size is about as close a substitute to huazontle flowers as I can think of, if a bit larger. The fact that they’re delicious and mild tasting doesn’t hurt at all. 

The dumplings are pretty simple to make. Steam or blanch some milkweed flower buds, chop them, mix with an egg yolk or two to help them form, mush them up into a little rustic shape, with a nugget of cheese inside.

After forming, the huazontles are rolled in flour, dipped in whipped egg white (a la chile rillenos) browned, and simmered in a delicious, silky, slightly spicy sauce made from dried chilies. While some recipes don’t include the chili sauce, I definitely recommend it. Getting to channel your inner Abuelita is just a bonus. 

Milkweed bud huazontles recipe

Milkweed bud huazontles recipe
Print Recipe
4.67 from 3 votes

Milkweed Bud Huazontles

Mexican-style dumplings made from milkweed buds, stuffed with cheese and simmered in a rich dried chili sauce inspired by the traditional dish made from green lamb's quarter seeds. Makes approximately 7 huazontles. Feel free to make them smaller or larger if you like. They're a great project for the whole family to participate in.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Huazontle, Lamb's Quarters
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Huazontles

  • 10 oz milkweed buds any large leaves removed
  • Small rectangles of queso Oaxaca or queso fresco roughly 5-7 g each
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs separated
  • A good handful of fresh cilantro optional
  • All purpose flour about ½ a cup for dredging, plus an extra spoonful or two if needed (see step forming the huazontles)

Pasilla Chili sauce *see note

  • 1 medium yellow onion 5 oz
  • 4 large cloves of garlic skin-on
  • 4-5 dried pasilla or guajillo chilis roughly 25 grams or a scant ounce
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water plus another 1/4 cup or so for finishing
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

For serving

  • Sour cream seasoned with a pinch of salt, lime juice and thinned with a splash of heavy cream or water in a pinch You can also use Mexican Crema, available at most places that sell similar ingredients, or creme friache.
  • Lime wedges optional
  • Cilantro flowers or chopped cilantro optional

Instructions

Chili sauce

  • Toast the chilis in a dry skillet for a few minutes until aromatic and lightly colored, then remove and cool, which will make them crisp. Break the stem end off of each chili, discard as many seeds as you can, then crumble into a small 1-2 quart sauce pot or similar.
  • Cut the onion in half horizontally. In a dry cast iron skillet, heat the onions, cut side down, along with the garlic cloves for 20 minutes on medium heat then turn the heat off and allow to cool in the pan.
  • The onions should be blackened on the cut sides, but not carbonized and should be tender after cooling. Remove the skins from the garlic and onions, chop roughly, and add to a small pot along with the stock or water and the crumbled, toasted chilis, cumin and salt. If you use seasoned stock, omit the salt.
  • Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, then transfer to a blender and carefully puree, starting on low speed and moving up to high (making sure to use a lid that has a vent) drizzling the oil in at the end to reduce the friction of the blades and yield a smooth puree. Double check the seasoning of the sauce for salt, adjust as needed and reserve.

Milkweed buds

  • Steam the milkweed buds for 3-4 minutes, then lay out on a tray and cool. It is important you remove as much water as possible, squeeze them in your hands to do that. When the buds are squeezed dry, chop the buds and tender stems until they have an even texture, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • Add the yolks to the chopped milkweed, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper and the cilantro.
  • Beat the egg whites until they hold soft (not firm) peaks and reserve.

Forming the huazontles

  • Attempt to ball up some of the chopped milkweed buds to make sure they will hold together. If you find it difficult or the mixture threatens to fall apart and not hold its shape, add a spoonful of flour to help stay together.
  • Take a golf ball size (35 g) portion of chopped milkweed buds and form it into a ball in your hand. Take a small (5 g) rectangle of cheese, press it into the center, then close your hand to form the milkweed mixture around the cheese, enclosing it in the center. Form the milkweed mass into a rustic, tubular huazontle dumpling as pictured.
  • Roll the dumplings in flour, then gently dip in the beaten egg white and fry in at least a thin layer of oil in a 10 inch non-stick pan, turning occasionally to brown every side. Push the dumplings to one side of the pan, then press a towel into the pan to soak any excess oil, if any.
  • Add 1 cup of the chili sauce and bring to a gentle simmer, spooning the sauce over the dumplings as they cook. If the pan gets dry, add the additional chicken stock or water to keep the sauce nice and smooth.
  • Serve with a spoonful of sour cream, garnish with the cilantro flowers and serve with lime wedges on the side if using.

Video

Notes

Chili Sauce
The chili sauce will make a little more than you need as it's difficult to make a smaller batch than I share here. It's good on all kinds of things.
Timid palettes 
Pasillas are typically less spicy than guajillos, so don't be scared of them if you can't do spicy food. You can always cut the sauce by pureeing a roasted bell pepper into it instead of half the dried chilis, too. 

Milkweed bud huazontles recipe

Further Reading / Watching 

Forager’s Guide to Milkweed

De mi Rancho a tu Cocina

Huazontles: A Pre-Hispanic Superfood

Wiki Nahuatl: a Pre-Hispanic Language

 

Related

Previous Post: « Sesame Baked Chicken of the Woods
Next Post: Green Walnut Molasses »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    July 3, 2021 at 8:32 am

    I love everything about this – from its indigenous roots to its milkweed execution. Wish my own abuelita were still here to enjoy there!

    Reply
  2. Tammie

    July 3, 2021 at 8:33 am

    sounds yummy, looks yummy.
    your video is beautiful.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 3, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Thanks Tammie.

      Reply
  3. Schroomer

    July 3, 2021 at 9:26 am

    Well now. I am looking out my window at my giant bed of hostas (grown for their shoots in spring, they make great kimchi), and the extra space I filled in around the hostas with milkweed for the monarchs. I never expected they would be one more addition to my kitchen counter. Thanks for this fun and informative piece, and I am heading out to look at my milkweed in a new way. I’ll rate after making, but your writing and detail are 5 stars.

    Reply
  4. Tom corday

    July 3, 2021 at 9:31 am

    How about showing what these plants look growing in the wild…that would be helpful in enabling people to pick safely

    Reply
  5. Terry Allaway

    July 3, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    The cardenolides in milkweed aren’t toxic to humans? I just assumed they were, perhaps only in other plant parts? I only know this in relation to raising milkweed for monarchs here at the nursery. Asclepias syriaca can have lower levels of cardenolides than some other Asclepias, but that can vary by a large amount (0 to 792 µg/0.1 g dry weight (Malcolm and Brower 1989), from this link: https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/interactions-with-milkweed. Love your blog and your spirit of exploration!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 3, 2021 at 2:17 pm

      Hey Terry. So the multiple edible parts of Asclepius syriaca and speciosa are both heavily documented First Nations foods so widely consumed by the current wild food community some of my peers say they’re passé. Problematic compounds are made safe through blanching, although over consumption with a few individuals can cause GI upset.

      Sam Thayer has an excellent profile of the plant as food, with lots of mythbusting in his first book, The Foragers Harvest. I have a semi-long form essay on A. syriaca as food in my book. I also have friends who eat A. exaltata. Other species shouldn’t be eaten, I have a line cook who made himself pretty sick eating raw A. tuberosa flowers.

      Reply
  6. John

    July 3, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    As taste buds mature (ahem) especially post-Covid I find myself going vicarious gourmet. Luckily I have a discerning and demanding border collie.
    Huazontle is his favorite, added to a balanced meal, steamed and served with coconut oil.
    The huazontle plant is really useful too to completely dominate the ground, suppressing all other weeds

    Reply
  7. Kim M Knebel

    July 14, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    5 stars
    These sound fabulous and very appropriate in S AZ where I live. Awaiting amaranth and you made me go buy a milkweed plant!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 16, 2021 at 6:36 pm

      Enjoy your milkweed.

      Reply
  8. Carol Davis

    August 24, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    These look amazing and delicious. I just have a question, if you are foraging lots and lots milkweed plants, is there enough milkweed left for the monarch butterflies?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      August 25, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      Yes there is. I wrote a long-form essay specifically touching on that in my book.

      Reply

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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
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My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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