Recipes-Recetas / Food-Comida

Quelites de primavera: what the earth gives

By hola | Published April 17, 2026 | No Comments

April is here! For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this month often symbolizes the full arrival of spring. Though many may primarily think of autumn, being the harvest season, as a time of abundance, the season of new beginnings is not without its gifts. With Earth Day just around the corner and the US-Iran war impacting global supply chains and driving up the price of food, this April is an opportune time to think about food sovereignty and eating sustainably.

Eating what grows in one’s community used to be the way of the world, and it survives through the people who continue to forage for food to this day. “Quelites,” originating from the Nahuatl word “quilitl,” are edible herbs and greens such as purslane, amaranth greens, chaya and several others. Though the word has traditionally referred to greens that grow in and are harvested from the wild, nowadays many people also use commercially available, agriculturally grown greens like spinach, collards, or others, either as an alternative or to mix with and stretch their harvest.

And one of the beautiful things about quelites is that they can be enjoyed anywhere edible greens grow. The recipe shared below has been prepared in Japan using fiddleheads and garlic chives, both of which are commonly found growing wild and foraged, local Japanese mustard spinach and the Japanese negi onion. Feel free to make it your own, using safely foraged or seasonal greens in your own area and whatever seasonings you prefer.

Quelites de primavera

Ingredients

Directions

1. Wash your greens thoroughly and, if necessary, remove any stems. Quelites are often prepared whole, but feel free to chop or hand-shred the greens if preferred.
2. If you’re using greens that need pre-boiling, boil them for the recommended amount of time, drain and set aside.
3. Heat a small amount of oil — just enough to prevent sticking — in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onions and sauté until slightly browned.
4. Add the chili pepper and garlic, if using, and sauté for about a minute.
5. Add the greens and any desired salt or seasonings to the pan and stir everything together.
6. Continue to cook until all the greens are tender.
7. Serve alongside warmed tortillas or rice, or as a side dish for a bigger meal. 

Tips

• If using foraged or wild greens, make sure they are edible, wash them thoroughly, and confirm whether they need to be pre-boiled and for how long.
• Many wild greens are bitter, so boiling them with a pinch of baking soda can help reduce that bitterness.
• Leverage the natural flavor of available greens! Garlic chives, for example, are very flavorful, so the version of this recipe prepared for this column didn’t need much seasoning. But if using less flavorful greens, don’t be afraid to add seasoning!

Reading List

– Written and copy edited by Kami Waller

Recent Stories