Create allergy card
← Browse ingredients

Chipilín leaves

Chipilín leaves are edible leafy herbs used in Central American soups, stews, tamales, and doughs.

Chipilín leaves — illustrative ingredient image

About Chipilín leaves

Chipilín leaves are the tender green leaves and slender stems of the chipilín herb, used as a leafy culinary ingredient rather than a dried spice. They are added to Central American soups, stews, tamales, rice dishes, and savoury doughs, where they contribute colour and herbal flavour.

The leaves have a mild, distinctive herbal taste and become soft when cooked. Fresh leaves are tender, while stems may be slightly more fibrous. Drying concentrates their flavour and makes them more brittle; freezing generally preserves a softer cooked quality after thawing.

Chipilín may be sold fresh in bunches, frozen, or dried as loose leaves and stems. Fresh material can be washed and added directly, while dried leaves are often rehydrated or simmered in a moist dish. Folding them into tamale dough or stirring them into soup distributes the herb throughout the preparation.

Ingredient type
whole food

FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE

Where will you meet it?

Explore the dishes that use this ingredient and their country and cuisine connections.

Explore linked dishes

ON A MENU OR LABEL

Find local names and written forms to help recognise this ingredient.

See local names

Where chipilín leaves appears

5 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–5 of 5

Main dishes

Sides

Snacks

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for chipilín leaves

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Chipilín leaves

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Chipilín leaves nutrition & diet

Chipilín leaves nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Vegetables, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
37kcal
Protein
2.3g
Carbs
4.1g
Fat
0.4g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Establish the botanical identity and whether the reference covers fresh chipilín leaves, cooked leaves, dried leaves, or leaves incorporated into dough. Washing, trimming, cooking, and mixing with masa, broth, cheese, or meat change the edible portion and composition. Use preparation-matched references rather than assuming forms are interchangeable.

Compare the right form: Match references to authenticated chipilín leaves and the exact fresh, cooked, dried, or recipe-incorporated edible form being evaluated.

Diet considerations

Chipilín leaves are plant-derived when the botanical identity is confirmed. Compatibility changes with added masa, wheat flour, dairy, eggs, meat, lard, broth, or packaged seasonings. Tamales and dough-based preparations create a more substantial cereal or carbohydrate pattern than the leaves alone; recipe and portion determine the result.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.7.4.9_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .