Chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata)

Chipilin is a beautiful perennial or annual legume native to Central America and Southern Mexico.  Chipilin is cultivated for it's edible foliage. Chipilin plants are typically grown as a annuals in the seasonal garden.

The leaves are grown, harvested, and prepared as a leafy vegetable in the local cuisines of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tobasco, El Salvador, and Guatemala.  The leaves are high in iron, calcium, beta carotene, and magnesium. They can be boiled and served green, dried and used as an herb, or added to tamale dough for color and flavor.

Common names include Chepil, Chepilin, Chipilin and Longbeak Rattlebox.