General Informations
Tagetes minuta is a tall upright marigold plant from the genus Tagetes, with small flowers, native to the southern half of South America. Since Spanish colonization, it has been introduced around the world, and has become naturalized in Europe, Asia, Australasia, North America, and Africa. Tagetes minuta has numerous local names that vary by region, most commonly found in the literature as chinchilla or chiquilla. Other names include muster John Henry, southern marigold, Khakibos, stinking roger, Peruvian black mint, and black mint.
It is used as a culinary herb in Peru, Ecuador, and parts of Chile and Bolivia. It is commonly sold in Latin grocery stores in a bottled, paste format as black mint paste.
