Huacatay

Tagetes minuta · Herb

40 pairings

Huacatay (Tagetes minuta), often called Peruvian black mint, is a tall, intensely aromatic Andean herb of the marigold genus whose feathery, finely divided leaves carry a startling green scent — basil, mint, citrus, tarragon and a resinous marigold edge colliding at once. Native to the temperate grasslands and highlands of southern South America, it is the soul of Peruvian ocopa sauce and perfumes stews, chilli pastes and the country's green table sauces.

Picking a good onedrag

Just cut, fronds standing stiffBlackened, slumped and slimy

Shop freshBuy leaf sold as food — bedding marigolds and verge plants carry sprays never cleared for eating. Wash your hands after chopping: Tagetes is a listed phototoxic and sensitising plant, so keep juiced skin out of strong sun.Everyday best

The leafGreen through, an odd yellow leaflet low down

The stemBends before it snaps, the cut end pale and dry

The liftStands, then the fine tips fold over slowly

Smell at a bruised leafClearly there, but you have to bruise it harder

What to look for, from just cut, fronds standing stiff to blackened, slumped and slimy.

Preparing