I found some Guajes!
- Jazmin G
- Aug 21, 2017
- 2 min read
My Mexican tummy is so excited to have found Guajes (pronounced HWAH-hay) locally!
Like many legumes the seeds of the Guaje are high in protein. Guaje seeds could be considered as a functional food, but mainly the Red Guaje ones due to their nutritional quality and higher antioxidant activity. Guaje pods and seeds were commonly used by native people in Mexico not only as a source of food but for medicinal purposes as well. You can use them fresh off the pod or wait until they are dry and grind them to a powder. There are many yummy recipes like salsas, salads, Mexican Mole and even tacos. I eat it on its own as a snack of the pod. If I am patient enough to gather a half a cup I will even eat them with a squirt of lemon, a pinch of salt and one of my favorite bottled salas either Tapatio or Valentina Hot Sauce.
Guaje are native to the West Indies, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico and the northern region of South America. It is suspected that it was first introduced to the Philippines in the 16th century as a feed for livestock then soon after spread throughout Southeast Asia, Central America, Mexico and Africa.
Guajes
Guaje pods grow from a tree know as Leucaena leucocephala which is also known by the Maya as Uaxim and in English as Leadtree, White Popinac and Wild Tamarind.
Description/Taste
Guaje pods are thin, flat and approximately a foot long in length. The smooth yet tough skin of the pod is green to red in color and slightly translucent allowing the encapsulated seeds to show as spots along the length of the pod. Its seeds are small and green, similar in size and shape to shelled pumpkin seeds. While the Guaje pods are considered inedible, the seeds are tender when green and fresh and become firmer and take on a brown hue as they dry and age. Their flavor is green, sharp
and slightly bitter with nuances of pumpkin seed, garlic, grass, avocado and okra.
If you ever find some I dare you to be brave and try some ; ) , you never know you might like them..... I sure love them!
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