Chipilin: Chipilin
(Crotolaria longirostrata)

Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata) is native to southern Mexico and Central America. This species of Crotalaria is a popular food plant in countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador (Morton, 1994). It is probably the species of the genus Crotalaria most used as food. The young leaves and shoots are consumed, either alone or mixed with other foods. It grows in humid soils, open slopes, and is commonly planted in fields and gardens.

Additionally, as a legume, chipilín has a positive impact on soil fertility (Camarillo-Castillo and Mangan, 2020). Legumes, in conjunction with soil bacteria, convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into ‘fixed’ nitrogen that plants can uptake.