Archive for the ‘Salvadoran Dishes’ Category

Flor de Izote con Huevos – Yucca flower with eggs   3 comments

I cooked something!   Sharing the recipe with you.   Something totally new (to me) and Salvadoran.  Flor de Izote con Huevos – which is Yucca flower with eggs.  Not to be confused with cassava root / Yuca (one “c”) which people eat, usually boiled, and tastes similar to a potato.

This is a white flower that sprouts from the top of what we call the “Izote” plant/bush/tree, and is also the national flower of El Salvador.  I learned that the Izote plant is also a big desert plant, which makes sense since El Salvador has virtually no rainfall for 6 months a year.   Pictures, with instructions for cooking, for anyone interested in making this at home (if you can get your hands on an Izote flower where you  live).

Flor de Izote

You start with the flower that grows on the top of the Izote bush/tree

The hard part inside of the flower is bitter, so most people take remove it before they cook it.

After the insides of the flowers are taken out, wash the petals and strain them.

Then boil the petals until they get soft – 5 minutes or so. They will look a bit more transparent.

I sauteed one medium size onion and 2-3 tomatoes. Cook them first before adding the flowers, as the flowers have already been boiled. Add salt and pepper or whatever spices you like. Ground ginger is nice for this recipe.

After the onion and tomato are sauteed, add the flowers and cook for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.

The final step is to add the eggs. Here I show the finished product on the plate but you get the idea. You can whip the eggs first or break them into the pan and stir them quickly into the vegetable mixture.