Making friends in El Salvador is very easy. But if you want to make friends for life - tell them how much you love Pupusas.
Compared to tacos or empanadas, pupusas are rarely found outside Central America. In El Salvador, they are the national dish and an enormous source of national pride.
They are cheap, delicious and can be consumed as a snack or meal. For Leisa and I, the snack would inevitably turn into a meal.
Pupusas are handmade tortillas stuffed with different fillings and are usually cooked over a woodfire grill. For an Australian who grew up in the 90s, they’re like a better version of a McCain pizza pocket.
Finding a pupuseria (Pupusa restaurant) was never hard, however, choosing the right pupuseria proved very controversial. El Salvadorians need no encouragement to tell you where to find the best pupuserias and where to avoid. It was hot gossip and very political.
We enjoyed watching pupusa chefs (usually families) tenderly mould tortilla dough around various fillings, which usually included stringy white cheese that melts inside this molten pocket on the grill.
Refried beans, jalapenos, ground meat, chorizo or even pineapple were our fillings of choice. Each pupuseria would have big jars of pickled cabbage, vegetables and peppers for you to top each pupusa with.
Making pupusas is a laborious, repetitive process, meaning this was never fast food. We used this time to sink beers and talk to locals. It was always worth the wait.
