List of 5 things you must eat in El Salvador
by Luciana
This is a small list of the foods that I recommend for you to try
out when you visit El Salvador. I am Luciana, my parents are from El Salvador, but I was born in Belgium. At the age of 4 I returned to El Salvador and have been living there ever since. I am from Santa Tecla, La Libertad which is great because I am 50 minutes away from the nearest coast. So, as a fellow Salvadoran, I will be guiding you through this article. Even though we are a small country in Central America, we are very rich in our culture. So if you ever come to visit, these are the dishes that you must try out.
Elote is simply the spanish word for corn. There was a time when we lived out of growing corn. So, you can see the importance of corn, there is a legend that the first man was made out of corn. The legend of Tepeu and Gucumatz resembles the Mayan beliefs, which is why corn is such an important crop. There is even a video in Spanish if you prefer.
There are many types of tamales like the salty ones (tamales de sal) which usually contains chicken, and the sugary ones (tamales de azucar) which contains dried prunes. They are prepared the same way, but for me the best one is “el tamal de elote”. The best ones are from Tamales Cañas which is where my dad gets them. The trick is to keep them cold, and if you want to eat one of them you just boil them. This is more like a weekend breakfast meal.
Petacones is a special cheese brand that I love. It is literally the only type of cheese that I eat. Tortilla is made out of cornflour. As I mentioned above, corn has always been a native crop (before Columbus). Corn is found in basically everything we eat. A bunch of festivals and rituals are done in honor of this crop that is so significant to El Salvador. In fact, corn has a bunch of health benefits that you probably didn’t know. Corn is mainly a carbohydrate, but it also contains some traces of protein and fat. Since corn is cheaper, more people are able to afford tortillas than a pound of meat.
To make a tortilla just add water and salt to the corn flour, dip your hand in vegetable oil, and start shaping it like in the picture. Then, I usually add the cheese on top, and it’s good to go.
3. Pupusas con curtido
If you haven’t tried pupusas then you’re not a true Salvadoran. It’s pretty easy to make a pupusa. It’s also delicious, even though I know some people that don’t like them for their own reasons. Pupusas can be made out of corn or rice flour. I don’t like the ones made out of rice flour, so in my opinion I would recommend the corn flour ones.It uses the same procedure as a tortilla and the only difference is that they are stuffed with other ingredients. There are many types of pupusas depending on what you decide to put in it. Some people have it with cheese (queso), others with loroco and cheese (queso con loroco), beans and cheese (frijol con queso), but my favorite is squash and cheese (queso con ayote). Curtido is just cabbage salad with vinegar. Everytime that I go to my grandma’s for a game of whiskey poker (la viuda) I can always expect us ordering pupusas de Olocuilta.
In your lifetime, you might have tried this delicious food, but don’t really know where it came from. Yuca frita is more like a snack than a full meal. It’s typically combined with pork rinds, curtido, tomato sauce, or anything else that you can think of. It’s also a great source of energy for a lot of people in El Salvador. It contains protein, which means it’s good for you. This is my favorite dish, and the best places where you are able to get it is in la Pupuseria Margot, or in La Tecleña which we would religiously go everyday after school. This is also a crop and as I said before, Salvadorans cherish the legacy of their Native American culture since most of it was destroyed during La Conquista.
5. Minutas
This is just the best dessert, if you’re looking for something refreshing. It’s basically grinded ice with fruit syrup. Some of the fruit flavors are very popular in El Salvador like tamarind (tamarindo). The classic one is the one with lemon and salt (limon con sal), which is the best. The people who sell these desserts are called “minuteros”, which is derived from “minutas”. They are ideal for any occasion and season, since it’s a relatively warm country. If you ever go to Ataco, Ahuachapán these are a must. To get there from the capital is a ride, but once you’re there it’s beautiful. Also, if you are there get the sorbetes de carretón. They are crafted ice cream that’s worth trying.
