HERBACEOUS, soapy, delicious, and nutritious. This exotic plant is all of these and much more! It is well-known by Central Americans but not as spineless yucca. If you were to use that term in Central America, most people would likely respond with a polite and inquisitive stare. However, a broad smile of recognition would appear immediately if you mentioned itabo, izote, or daguillo, as the plant is commonly known in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Costa Ricans and other Central Americans savor its flowers in a variety of dishes.

Deliciously Edible!

Frances Perry, author of Flowers of the World, writes: “The flower buds of Yucca species are eaten by the Indians, and the fruits and the roots have saponifying [soapy] properties so may be used for washing clothes.” Central Americans have made good use of the yucca’s culinary and cleansing attributes. They delight in its somewhat sour yet tangy taste. The flowers are prepared in cold salads or cooked with eggs and potatoes, a favorite among Costa Ricans and other Central Americans. Yuccas have nutritional value because they are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, thiamine, phosphorus, and riboflavin.

Yucca flowers cooked with eggs and potatoes, a favorite dish in Central America