Chamaedorea tepejilote

Chamaedorea tepejilote, also known as the pacaya palm, is a species of Chamaedorea palm tree found in the understory of the forests of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia.[2]

Edible inflorescence of the pacaya palm (with other flowers)
Edible inflorescence of the pacaya palm (with other flowers)

Chamaedorea tepejilote
Pacaya palm (Chamaedorea tepejilote) taken at Atitlán Lake in Guatemala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Chamaedorea
Species:
C. tepejilote
Binomial name
Chamaedorea tepejilote

Uses

The immature male inflorescences of the plant are considered a delicacy in Guatemala and El Salvador. The unopened inflorescences resemble an ear of corn in appearance and size.[3] Indeed, the word tepejilote means "mountain maize" in the Nahuatl language and was selected because of this resemblance.[2] The common name pacaya, referring to both the plant and its edible flowers, could be derived from the Pacaya volcano.[2]

Pacaya has a somewhat bitter taste, although less so in cultivated varieties.[2] It is eaten in salads (especially fiambre, a salad traditionally eaten in Guatemala on the Day of the Dead) or covered in egg batter and fried.[4] The latter dish is called envueltos de pacaya, and is often served with tomato sauce, like chiles rellenos.

References
  1. "Chamaedorea tepejilote". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  2. Castillo Mont, Juan José; Gallardo, Negli Rene; Johnson, Dennis V. (1994). "The Pacaya Palm (Chamadorea Tepejilote; Arecaceae) and its Food Use in Guatemala". Economic Botany. 48 (1): 69. doi:10.1007/bf02901383. S2CID 26525149.
  3. Cook, Orator Fuller (31 December 1910). "History of the Coconut Palm in America". Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 14 (2): 311. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  4. Pieroni, Andrea (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 33-34. ISBN 0415927463.


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