Funny after all the time I lived in Mexico I never saw a Guajes. When I walked into the Mexican market today, there was a pile of them in a tray by the cash register. They peeled it to expose the seeds and gave me one to try. I liked it.Guajes or huajes are the flat, green (or brown) pods of the Leucaena spp. The pods are light green or deep red in color and they told me that both taste the same.
Guaje seeds are small and are eaten raw with guacamole or cooked and made into a sauce or fritters.
The ground seeds are used to impart a slightly garlicy flavor to a mole (sauce) called guaxmole (huaxmole).
The dried seeds may be toasted and salted and eaten as a snack referred to as "cacalas". Come to think of it, I saw it in a snack mix once in a bar in Guadalajara.
Bon Appetit!
