Tamales made with fresh corn masa flavored with chipilín — a leguminous leafy herb native to southern Mexico with a distinctive earthy, slightly bitter flavor akin to a cross between epazote and spinach. Wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. A staple of the Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas, where chipilín grows abundantly. Distinct from central-Mexican tamales in masa flavoring and wrapper.
Tamales de chipilín are native to the Yucatán Peninsula, Tabasco, and Chiapas — the regions where chipilín (Crotalaria longirostrata, a leguminous herb) grows. The tamales reflect the southern Mexican tamal tradition: banana-leaf wrapping (vs. corn husks in central Mexico), fresh masa flavored with the herb, and a filling of shredded pork or chicken. Chipilín itself has been used as a culinary herb since pre-Hispanic times. The tamales are an everyday food across the region, sold in markets and made at home, distinct in flavor from any other tamal.
Unwrapping a tamal de chipilín from its banana leaf reveals a green-flecked masa with a distinctive earthy aroma. The masa is soft and slightly spongy, flavored with the chipilín's bitter-green note; inside is a core of savory shredded pork. The banana leaf has contributed a faint herbal scent. Eaten by hand, often with salsa.
Tamales de chipilín depend on the banana-leaf steaming technique. The masa (corn dough, nixtamalized) is mixed with finely chopped chipilín leaves; the leaves' volatile aromatic compounds permeate the dough during steaming. A spoonful of shredded pork in sauce is placed in the center, and the masa is wrapped in banana leaves. Steaming for 60-90 minutes gelatinizes the corn starch fully (giving the soft, spongy texture) and cooks the filling; the banana leaves act as both wrapper and steaming vessel, their own aromatic oils subtly flavoring the masa. The chipilín's slight bitterness balances the masa's natural sweetness.
Variations
Some versions fill with chicken or beans; the chipilín level varies by taste; Chiapanec versions add more herbs.
On the Palate
Where Tamales de Chipilín sits in the Mexican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour 30 min active + 30 min waiting
- 110 min
Masa: mix fresh corn masa (or masa harina reconstituted) with lard, salt, and finely chopped chipilín leaves.
- 220 min
Cook shredded pork in a little salsa roja to make the filling.
- 35 min
Cut banana leaves into squares; soften over heat.
- 410 min
Spread a portion of masa on each leaf; add a spoonful of pork filling in the center.
- 55 min
Fold the leaves to enclose the filling; tie or fold shut.
- 690 min
Steam in a tamalera for 75-90 minutes until the masa pulls cleanly from the leaf.
Watch outSteam a full 75-90 minutes until the masa pulls cleanly off the leaf — test one; if it still sticks, the dough is underdone and pasty.
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