Peruvian Black Mint and the Anglo-Boer War

One morning I opened an email from our friend Susan. The tone of the email was one of excitement as with all other emails which introduce a new herb to my growing collection.

This email introduced me to the huacatay (pronounced WAH-kah-tie).  In Peru the herb, a member of the marigold family, is used to introduce a minty flavour to many dishes.

The plant in the picture looked familiar and a quick search on the latin name, Tagetes minuta, informed me that the herb is no other than an invasive plant in South Africa called Khaki Weed or “Kakiebos”. It is a highly invasive species that was brought into the country by the British during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 - 1902) when they imported horse feed from Argentinia.

Tagetes minuta/Khakibush

The British troops were called Khakis (in a derogatory sense) because of the colour of their uniform. The weed appeared with the British troops and got the name Khakibush because it was unwanted and invasive.

With forests of it growing in the vineyards and orchards, the potential to make these Peruvian dishes should be easy. 

Dry Khakibush standing tall in the vineyards

In bygone years we used the tea which can be made from Khakibush as an insect repellent and a dip for farm dogs. It was also effective as a measure for repelling fleas and insects, and as a wash for dog's bedding. A regular spray of the tea also maintained its effectiveness in repelling fleas and insects from the pet’s bedding.

Well Susan might just have started the process of taking the Khaki out of the Khakibush and making it an upstanding culinary herb in South Africa. And where better to start the movement than in the valley where the plant has become a prolific by-product of orchards and vineyards.