El Salvadorian cuisine is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama. But this tropical destination with its coastline, warm and friendly people, and surprisingly unique food is growing in stature as both a travel and food destination. El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, has a lot of local cuisines to offer its visitors.
When the topic is Salvadorian food, many people immediately think of pupusas. However, there’s more to the country’s cuisine than just this tasty snack. El Salvador’s food features new takes on the food of neighboring countries, but they also have exquisite traditional dishes of their own.
What Is El Salvadorian Food?
Salvadorian food refers to the cuisine of El Salvador’s populace. Many of the dishes are based on corn, and there’s also heavy use of seafood and pork.
The food in this Central American country is a mix of a Native American food from indigenous groups such as Cacaopera, Mangue, Mixe, Alaguilac, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Poqomam, Pipil, Lenca, and Xinca.
There’s also a Spanish influence on the cuisine, following the Conquest of El Salvador.
El Salvador’s coastline means that fresh seafood often features heavily in most meals. The coastal towns and cities have meals that highlight this fact the most, but there’s a rich seafood culture even within inland towns.
Traditional Dishes in El Salvador
Below is a list of traditional dishes in El Salvador.
1. Pupusas
Pupusa is popular because it is El Salvador’s adopted national food. The second Sunday in November of every year is recognized as the Pupusa’s National Day in El Salvador.
Pupusas are the purported staple of Salvadoran cuisine, but this food is anything but ordinary. They are thick, round, hand-made corn tortillas often made with savory fillings like chicharron (finely ground pork), beans, rice, cheeses, a local edible flower called “loroco.”
Revueltas is the most popular type of Pupusa. They are stuffed with all of the above but made with the more traditional corn tortilla. There is also the pupusa de Arroz which is made from rice flour instead of corn. The latter has a unique flavor but is equally delicious.
2. Tamal de Pollo
Salvadoran banana leaf tamales differ from their corn-husk Mexican cousins, but they still top the list of foods to try. These tamales are cooked and wrapped in such a way as to give them a moist and juicy consistency and a slightly fresher taste. Salvadoran recipes call for tamale filling of potatoes, olives, and a tomato sauce that imparts a lot of flavor to the chicken. These delicious treats often have a little crispness to the edges and a consistent texture inside and out.
3. Sopa de Res
The English translation is “soup is life.” And if the name isn’t indication enough as to how serious Salvadorans are about their soup, then one taste is all that’s needed to confirm it. Many of the South American Countries have different versions of this soup, but El Salvador’s is among the best.
The soup is made with large chunks of beef simmered and stewed with ears of corn, cabbage, carrot, zucchini, and a Central American squash called “güisquil.” Rice is added to the soup as both a thickening agent and to make it more satisfying. Sopa de Res is a must during any trip to El Salvador.
4. Plátanos con crema y Frijoles
A typical breakfast dish in El Salvador, platanos con crema y frijoles consists of the larger sweet and starchy cousin to the banana: the plantain. Plantains are common to Salvadoran cuisine, and here they are fried then topped with a finely ground bean that has a sauce-like consistency. They are accompanied by a South American version of sour cream.
Adding eggs to your plátanos con crema y Frijoles along with a thick, fluffy tortilla, is what is known as “Plato típico”, which translates to a typical dish. It is anything but typical.
Salvadorian food is both varied and delicious. Visitors to El Salvador should try most, if not all, of the foods mentioned above. The flavors will both inform and entice. The rich influences of El Salvador’s Spanish heritage are on display in many of the dishes, as is the native culture and indigenous, abundant seafood and tropical fruits. As more and more Americans are introduced to Salvadoran foods by immigrants to their country, there’s no doubt the region’s food will become more popular.