Chefs Aldo Rivera and Javier López reveal how a humble corn tortilla stuffed with cultural significance became El Salvador’s national dish.
In the Mayan creation story, the gods made men from corn. Yep, that’s right: according to the Mayas, we’re all made up of little gold kernels of goodness.
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The corn became humankind’s blood and formed their heart. In a sense, this myth reveals a profound truth about the Latin American people because corn – a product native to South America – is an essential ingredient in most of our beloved dishes, from Chilean humitas in the south to Mexican tortillas in the north.
In El Salvador, corn is transformed into a fantastic dish known as a pupusa, a specialty from Central America where it’s consumed with fervor from dawn till dusk.
What Is a Pupusa?
Made with masa, pupusas are thick, spongy corn tortillas that can be stuffed with various fillings before being cooked on a clay comal or steel griddle.
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Some popular fillings include beans and chicharrón and quesillo. Another popular filling is loroco blossoms – a fragrant plant native to South America that produces edible flowers with an earthy taste similar to artichokes.
To make a pupusa, Aldo Rivera, a Salvadoran chef and judge on the cooking show Top Chef, explains a person must “take a ball of dough, make a hole in it and stuff it with filling”.
Next, the pupusa is sealed and patted to distribute the filling evenly and attain the characteristic round shape. These are then served with tangy sides such as curtido and salsa roja.
Of course, it can also be accompanied with hot chocolate or coffee. Ubiquitous to Latin American countries, these drinks are sometimes even served free of charge with pupusas in El Salvador.
Where Do Pupusas Come From?
Although the exact origin of the pupusa is unclear, there is no denying that it has its roots in Latin America, sharing similarities with Mexican gorditas (although these are fried) and Colombian and Venezuelan arepas.
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As Aldo explains, in historical records from the 16th century there are references to corn tortillas, mixed with meat and beans, prepared by local indigenous people. But, they did not have a particular name.
While research indicates that pupusas indeed have an indigenous origin, some believe that it is the result of interactions between native South Americans and European colonisers.
The origin of the word is also fiercely debated. Some believe it comes from the Kʼiche or Quiché people, a Mayan tribe. Others think it comes from the Nahuatl word ‘pupushawa’, which, roughly translated, means ‘swollen’.
However and wherever it originated, one thing is certain: it is quintessential Salvadoran cuisine. So much so that it was adopted as a national dish and even given an annual holiday in its honour – the second Sunday of November.
Raul Montalvo, a Salvadoran immigrant now living in the US, agrees wholeheartedly. In a BBC article, he described the power that pupusas continue to have over him:
“You can’t get any more Salvadoran than a pupusa. The peculiar smell, the combination of the hot pupusa topped with chilled curtido. For me, getting pupusas every so often is the closest form of being back home.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
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