General Information
Guajes or huajes are the flat, green pods of an acacia tree. The pods are sometimes light green or deep red in color — both taste the same. Guaje seeds are about the size of a small lima bean and are eaten raw with guacamole, sometimes cooked and made into a sauce. They can also be made into fritters. The ground seeds are used to impart a slightly garlicky flavor to a mole called guacamole (huaxmole). The dried seeds may be toasted and salted and eaten as a snack referred to as “cacalas”.
These 10-20 centimeter-long purple pods contain seeds that resemble lentils and are used to flavor the delicious Mexican meat stew called guasmole, a specialty of the regions around Puebla and Oaxaca. Their distinctive taste, somewhat reminiscent of garlic, was much appreciated by the Spaniards, who wrote of finding them among the produce at the great Tlatelolco market.
