Leaves of Avocado Plants Are Edible and Medicinal

I wasn't able to find as much information that I would have liked, but am going to post what I did find. It turns out that some Mexican people use avocado leaves in their cooking and when they are lightly toasted in a skillet with oil, it gives a flavor like anise....

Poor Richard's Almanac: "Gourmet Sleuth notes that the fresh leaves are used as a flavoring for tamales and made into a bed for barbecuing meats, and the dried leaves can be used in bean dishes, soups and stews. They point out that Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy recommends them as a substitute for hoja santa, aromatic leaves of another Mesoamerican plant (Piper auritum) that’s related to black pepper."

Flavors of the Sun: Avocado Leaves: A Secret Mexican Ingredient: Avocado Leaves: A Secret Mexican Ingredient by Victoria Challancin Love at First Bite I can still remember my first encounter with the exot...


Health and Beauty Pages"Uses of Avocado Leaves: Avocado leaves, both fresh and dried are used for wrapping tamales, or seasoning for barbecues and stews. Some also use avocado leaves for medicinal purposes. Dried leaves will keep for several months in a tightly-closed container."

Here's some information about possible health benefits of the avocado leaves from Medicinal Herbs 4U.com:

"The tea is very beneficial for diarrhea, high blood pressure and it is an excellent blood purifier. The dried powdered seeds of avocado leaves can be applied to hemorrhoids which can result in natural healing.
A poultice of the warm leaves of avocado is used externally for pains, sprains as well as headaches. In regards to arthritis and rheumatism, add the leaves to a small amount of rubbing alcohol and water and used it to rub the painful areas to alleviate pains.
The tea can also be used for colds, coughs, asthma and high blood pressure remedy..."