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Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata)

Chipilín growing at the UMass Research Farm in Deerfield, MA.
Chipilín at La Tiendona, the main terminal market in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Chipilín produced in Massachusetts for sale at a Latino store in Worcester, MA.
Chipilín transplants at the University of Massachusetts.

Chipilín is a leguminous plant that is used as an herb in Central America and Southern Mexico. It is a perennial that can be grown as an annual in temperate climates.

Chipilín is used in soups and in making the corn dough for pupusas, a type of tortilla popular in Central America.

Production

Chipilín can be direct seeded or produced by transplants. Given the very small seed and the short growing season in the Northeaster US, using transplants is recommended.

Seed Sources

There are no commercial seed sources available at this time. Research on this crop is being conducted at the University of Massachusetts with the assistance of the CENTA in El Salvador (Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuario y Forestal).

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