Vegetable Program
Ethnic Crops

Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata)

Chipilín growing at the UMass Research Farm in Deerfield, Mass.
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

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.

Chipilín at La Tiendona, the main terminal market in San Salvador, El Salvador
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

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.

Chipilín produced in Massachusetts for sale at a Latino store in Worcester, Massachusetts.
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

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)

Chipilín transplants at the University of Massachusetts.
(Photo by Maria Moreira)