Herbs
Kawakawa
New Zealand
Heart-shaped leaves of a native shrub, dried for a mild peppery tea or used fresh as a wrapping and seasoning.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Kawakawa.
Heart-shaped leaves of a native shrub, dried for a mild peppery tea or used fresh as a wrapping and seasoning.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
The most-holed leaves are said to be the best, having been chosen by the looper caterpillar. Drunk as a tea and used in rongoā.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Kawakawa.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
Australia
Aniseed Myrtle
Native rainforest plant with aniseed flavour, used in teas, desserts, and as a spice, strong aniseed aroma with fresh leaves, a rare native gourmet ingredient.
Armenia
Aveluk
Ավելուկ
Wild mountain sorrel gathered in spring, plaited into long ropes and dried, then rehydrated for soup and salad through the winter.
Ethiopia
Besobela
በሶበላ
Sacred basil — an Ethiopian basil variety with a clove-and-pepper aroma, central to niter kibbeh and many wot. One of the signature herbs that gives Ethiopian food its unmistakable perfume.
Colombia
Cilantro Cimarrón
A wild cilantro variety from the Colombian Pacific, with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic flavor. Used in Pacific soups, stews, and tapao.
Dominican Republic
Culantro
A Dominican herb (culantro/recao) with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic cilantro-like flavor. Used in sofritos and stews, a key seasoning.
Ethiopia
Gesho
ጌሾ
A buckthorn shrub whose stems and leaves are used to ferment and bitter Ethiopian tej (honey wine) and tella (beer). Gesho plays the role hops play in beer — without it, there'd be no Ethiopian fermented drinks.
Greenland
Angelica
Qajaliusaq
Arctic angelica; a wild herb used to infuse water and flavor dishes; carafes of angelica-infused water are served at kaffemik gatherings; a traditional Greenlandic herb; a key ingredient in New Arctic Kitchen cuisine.
Greenland
Mountain Sorrel (Seernaq)
Mountain sorrel (seernaq), a lemony Greenlandic herb eaten fresh or cooked with fish and seal.