Coming to a foreign country you may be worried about culture shock, saying and doing the wrong thing and coming off as a jerk. But the worst part of culture shock is food shock. Looking down at your plate and thinking “What is that and did it just walk onto my plate?”. The good news is that for most of us foreigners, Salvadorian food doesn’t usually provoke that kind of reaction. It’s actually really tasty and mostly healthy. What kind of food should you mentally prepare for before coming to El Salvador? Here’s a summary of the basics.

•                  Pupusas and Curtido. Pupusas are basically corn stuffed tortillas, similar to Mexican gorditas. The dough is made from Masa (corn flour) and water kneaded and rolled into a small disc. Then after adding the filling, usually cheese, beans or meats like chicharrón (fried pork rind), the dough is folded over the filling and shaped into a tortilla and then cooked on an ungreased skillet. The result is delicious.  Pupusas are usually served with a cabbage and carrot vinegar salad called Curtido and tomato sauce. There’s pupuserías all over El Salvador and they’re usually really cheap. Pupusas are even frozen and exported to countries like the United States, but nothing comes close to the real thing.

•                  Horchata is a very popular drink all over Central America and Mexico. Horchata varies from country to country but the basic components are sesame seeds or morro, almonds, vanilla, cinnamon and water or milk. The taste is sweet and spicy, simply wonderful. Many Salvadorians make horchata at home and restaurants usually have fresh horchata as well. There are also prepackaged powder mixes at the supermarket that taste pretty good when prepared with milk.

•                  Quesadillas Salvadoreñas are very different from Mexican quesadilllas. This cheese coffee cake is super popular here. It’s made from Parmesan cheese  or shredded queso fresco, sesame seeds, flour, baking powder, milk, eggs, sugar and butter. It’s very simple and really tasty. Some prefer to use cornmeal which tastes like cornbread with cheese which is, in one word, magic.

These are only a few examples of Salvadorian cuisine, you will likely find that there are as many similarities as there are differences between this food and the food you’re used to. Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. Now that you know what to expect, you are better prepared and  you will successfully circumvent culture shock and fall in love with Salvadorian food and culture.

Related posts:

• How to make a Pupusa – Gringo Style
• Tasty Variety at the Food Festival In Juayúa
• El Salvador Culture: How to Adapt
• To the moon! Or should I say to La Luna
• Quality Mexican Food in Juayua

Tags: food, horchata, pupusas, quesadillas salvadorenas