Hoja Santa

USES:
The leaves of this plant—commonly called "Root Beer Plant"—are used as a wrapper or as a seasoning for meat, fish, mushrooms and tamales. It's also a classic seasoning in yellow mole.

FINDING:
It grows wild in the Southwest. You can sometimes find the fresh leaves at Mexican groceries. You can buy the plants to grow in your garden. Two sources for purchasing hoja santa plants are Almost Eden and Companion Plants.

STORING:
We harvest the leaves from Rick's garden and freeze them between sheets of parchment paper for use in the winter and spring.