Chipilín tamales: what they are, taste and recipe

What is it?

Chipilin tamales are one of the gastronomic emblems of Chiapas and also extend through Tabasco, Guatemala and parts of Oaxaca. Their hallmark is chipilin (Crotalaria longirostrata), a leguminous quelite with small, deep-green leaves that is mixed straight into the maize dough. They are usually filled with chicken, fresh cheese or dried prawn, wrapped in banana or maize leaf depending on the region, and steamed. They are common at Chiapas breakfasts, December posadas and on the menus of traditional fondas. Their herbaceous, slightly earthy and sweetish flavour sets them apart from any other tamale in Mexico and makes them a direct bridge to the Mesoamerican cuisine of maize and quelites.

Origin and history

Chipilin has been eaten in Mesoamerica since pre-Hispanic times, documented in codices and in colonial accounts as one of the quelites of the indigenous diet of Chiapas and the Maya area. El Heraldo de Chiapas describes how the Zoque, Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples grew it in milpas and family gardens, using its leaves as an everyday vegetable. The fusion with maize dough to make tamales is very old: Bernardino de Sahagun already mentions herb tamales in his 16th-century chronicles. Directo al Paladar Mexico and Excelsior agree that the modern Chiapas version became established as a family recipe for posadas and year-end celebrations, where a single batch is enough for thirty people. Consumption has remained constant in Chiapas and has migrated to Mexico City with the Chiapas diaspora.

Characteristic ingredients

Fresh chipilin provides the distinctive flavour: its small, tender leaves have a herbal profile with notes of green tea, spinach and a pleasant slight bitterness. They are separated from the stem and incorporated raw into the maize dough, which is beaten with pork lard, salt and chicken broth until fluffy. The filling varies by region: in Chiapas fresh or Chiapas cheese with tomato predominates, in Tabasco dried prawn abounds, and in Guatemala chicken is usually added. They are wrapped in banana leaf (typical of Chiapas and Tabasco) or in maize leaf when the chipilin is mixed with tender sweetcorn. The steaming takes about an hour. When fresh chipilin is unavailable, abroad it is replaced with dried or frozen leaves, although it loses some aroma.

Cultural significance

The chipilin tamale is one of the pillars of Chiapas gastronomic identity and is part of the intangible heritage of the Maya peoples of the south-east. It is eaten daily at breakfast, served with fresh cheese and cream, but it is also a star at December posadas, gastronomic fairs and patron-saint festivities. Quadratin and El Heraldo de Chiapas point to it as a fundamental piece for understanding the cuisine of the quelite, a strand of Mexican cooking that UNESCO recognised in 2010 when it inscribed traditional Mexican gastronomy as Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Chipilin has also gained relevance as a sustainable backyard crop, since it is a legume that fixes nitrogen and improves the soil. Today Mexican chefs such as Elena Reygadas, Jorge Vallejo or Edgar Nunez have taken it into fine dining, revaluing its role in living pre-Hispanic cuisine.

Frequently asked questions

What is chipilin?

Chipilin is a leguminous quelite (Crotalaria longirostrata) native to Mesoamerica. It is a herb with small green leaves that grows wild and is also cultivated in Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Guatemala and El Salvador. It is considered a quelite because its tender leaves are edible and have been used as a vegetable since pre-Hispanic times in soups, tamales, rices and traditional atoles of the south-east.

What do chipilin tamales taste like?

They taste of fresh herb with notes reminiscent of green tea, spinach and a touch of avocado leaf. The chipilin adds a pleasant slight herbal bitterness that is balanced by the maize dough, the lard and the fresh cheese. If the filling is dried prawn, it gains a marine touch. The whole is light, fragrant and completely different from a mole or rajas tamale.

Where do chipilin tamales come from?

They come from Chiapas, where they have the status of emblematic state dish. They are also traditional in Tabasco, parts of Oaxaca and Guatemala, where they go by the same name. The Zoque, Tzotzil and Tzeltal communities have made them for centuries. Today they are mainly associated with Chiapas cuisine, although the diaspora has taken them to Mexico City and the United States.

How are chipilin tamales served?

They are served hot, two per person, open on the banana or maize leaf that wraps them. The classic Chiapas way accompanies them with thick cream, crumbled fresh cheese and sometimes a light tomato salsa. For breakfast they are taken with clay-pot coffee or chipilin atole. At posadas they are served before the main dish as a hot, festive starter.