Hoja santa - Piper auritum

Rub a little one of its soft and large leaves.

A warm exotic scent will inebriate you: a mixture of star anise, nutmeg and pepper.
Commonly called "Hoja santa", or "sacred leaf", perhaps a denomination inherited from ancient times in which the Aztec civilization used it in ritualism, Piper auritum is mainly used in Mexican cuisine.

The huge edible leaves are filled with meat or fish and boiled. The aroma is thus transmitted to the meat and the foliage is eaten as a side vegetable. The leaves can also be chopped and added to various sauces, such as in the famous “Mole verde”.

It is the custom of the indigenous inhabitants of the Rio Indio to use the latter as an appetizing bait for fish.

Also try the young stems. Peeled, they have a less decisive aroma than the leaves, but with an interesting note of coconut.
Probably one of the largest perennials among aromatic plants, Piper auritum is to be considered a plant that is nothing short of spectacular not only in its aroma, but also in its development.

The heart-shaped leaves can reach 30 cm in length and width respectively. The plant can also rise up to three meters in height or more.