While assisting the Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, we noted cordoncillo around the entrance houses at Biotopo Chocon Machacas (north side of El Golfete, Rio Dulce, Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala).
There are hundreds of species of Piper in Guatemala and nearby countries of Central America. Many different species are called cordoncillo. So on our field trips we include Q'eqchi' Mayan plant scouts (people who know which plant is which).
Santa Maria is another Piper that is edible.
We have found many different Piper species in the Municipio of Livingston, Izabal, but so far, not even in the kitchen gardens, we have not yet identified any Piper amalgo or Piper auritum. The large-leaf Piper that is locally named Santa Maria is easier to find and easier to recognize: this is present in Izabal.
We will continue searching for the cordoncillo, the Piper used to flavor cacao a thousand years ago. But in the meantime, here is a snapshot of one of the many species of Piper visible along the roads and trails near the town of Livingston.
Posted Mar. 12, 2020
