Food!

Salvadoran Cuisine 

It is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The traditional cuisine consists of food from indigenous Lenca, Pipil people and Spanish peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maiz (corn).

El Salvador's most notable dish is the pupusa, a thick handmade corn flour or rice flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, chicharrón (cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency), refried beans, and/or loroco (a vine flower bud native to Central America). There are also vegetarian options, often with ayote (a type of squash), or garlic. Some adventurous restaurants even offer pupusas stuffed with shrimp or spinach which are served with salsa roja, a simple yet flavorful Salvadoran cooked tomato sauce, often served with curtido. 

Pupusas, a Mesoamerican cuisine of Mayan origen, The oldest direct evidence of pupusas preparations in the world comes from a 1,400-year-old Maya site,Joya de Cerén, in El Salvador.

Loroco is a Mesoamerican plant widely used in Salvadoran dishes, like in Pupusas

Pollo Encebollado is another popular Salvadoran dish that contains chicken simmered with onions. Famous Salvadoran cheese is eaten with these meals such as Queso duro (Hard cheese), Queso Fresco (Fresh Cheese) and Cuajada.

Salvadorean Tortillas are a staple of the Salvadorean diet. These are thicker (5mm) than Mexican tortillas, and are about 10cm in diameter.

Yuca is eaten fride or boiled with salads as a side dish. The oldest direct evidence of cassava cultivation in the world comes from a 1,400-year-old Maya site, Joya de Cerén, in El Salvador.

Two other typical Salvadoran dishes are yuca frita and panes rellenos. Yuca frita is deep fried cassava root served with curtido(a pickled cabbage, onion and carrot topping) and chicharron with pepesca (fried baby sardines). The Yuca is sometimes served boiled instead of fried. Panes Rellenos ("Stuffed Bread") are warm submarine sandwiches. The turkey or chicken is marinated and then roasted with Pipil spices and hand-pulled. This sandwich is traditionally served with turkey or chicken,tomato, and watercress along with cucumber, onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard.

Other well-known Salvadoran dishes include Carne guisada, Lomo Entomatado (beef with tomatoes), Carne Asada (Grilled steak) usually served with a type of Salvadoran salsa called Chimol, Pasteles de Carne (Meat pies), Pollo Guisado con Hongos(Chicken with mushrooms), Pacalla (palm flowers breaded in cornmeal, fried and served with tomato sauce), Pavo Salvadoreño(Roast turkey with sauce) often eaten for Christmas, Ceviche de Camarones (Lime-cooked shrimp) and Pescado Empanizado(Breaded, fried fish filets).

Tamales

One of El Salvador's most famous dishes is their different types of tamales which are usually wrapped in plantain leaves. These tamales include: Tamales de Elote (Fresh corncakes) Tamales Pisques (Tamales stuffed with black beans) 

Tamales de pollo (Tamales stuffed with chicken and potatoes) and Ticucos ("Travelers" tamales).

Soups

Soups and salads are popular among Salvadorans of every social level. Sopa de pata is a soup made from the tripe of a cow, plantain, corn, tomatoes, cabbage and spices, locally a delicacy. Sopa de Res, a soup made from beef shank, beef bone with meat, carrots, plantain, corn, potatoes, zucchini and more. Gallo en chicha is a soup made with rooster, corn, and dulce de tapa and sometimes other things. Sopa de pescado is a soup made out of fish or seafood made with corn flour, tomatoes, green peppers, cumin, achiote and other ingredients, very popularly eaten for the Christian holiday of Easter. Sopa de pollo is a chicken stew with tomatoes, green peppers, guisquil, carrots, potatoes, consommé and other ingredients.

Desserts

Salvadoran desserts include pan dulce, semita, Salvadoran-style quesadilla, torta de yema, marquezote, salpores, poleada (vanilla custard), arroz con leche (rice pudding), atol de elote, atol de piña, empanadas de platano (plantain patties), and many others. 

The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form.

Fruits

Fruits are widely consumed, the more popular being mangoes, coconuts, papayas, and bananas. Sometimes they enjoy fruit with ice cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.