Quelite is a Mexican term that describes young, tender shoots of edible plants, usually foraged from the wild, used as leafy vegetables. About 350 different
species of quelite plants are traditionally used in Mexican cuisine. The word quelite stems from the Aztec nahuatl word quilitl, which can mean edible herb, vegetable or grass, however, squash blossoms and flowers are also a commonly used as quelites.
Similar terms for mixed wild plants are used in Japan (sansai), Italy (piante spontanee), and Greece (horta).
