Characteristic products
As in many other Latin American countries, corn is a staple food and is used in a variety of recipes: dishes, drinks, sweets and desserts. To prepare corn kernels, they are usually put through a process known as nixtamalization: they are soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater. This treatment weakens the outer shell of the corn, making it more digestible and easier to work with. This is how most tortillas are made, although some corn cakes use the non-nixtamalized grain.
As in Nicaragua and Honduras, in addition to corn, rice and beans are widely consumed, as are potatoes, yuca (manioc), quequisque (the tuber of a plant also known as " malanga "), plantains... Vegetables include cabbage, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, squash, chillies and more. As in El Salvador,encurtido (vegetables in vinegar brine) is a common aperitif. Loroco (the flower bud of a vine native to Central America), in brine, is unique to El Salvador. Dishes can also be enhanced with coconut milk.
As for herbs and spices,achiote or roucou is appreciated for its bright orange-red color and light nutmeg taste. As in neighboring countries, spices and aromatics include cinnamon, pepper, ginger, onion, garlic, oregano, coriander and yerba buena (a type of mint). Dishes can be garnished with peanuts.
Meat dishes include beef, chicken and pork. As a coastal country, El Salvador also offers fish and seafood dishes (shrimps, lobsters, clams, octopus, crabs). As in neighboring countries, dishes are garnished with cuajada (a type of fresh cheese) and queso duro blando (a type of cheese aged longer than cuajada).
In El Salvador, and more generally throughout Central America, mealtimes are as follows: a hearty breakfast between 6 and 9 a.m., followed by a lunch, often lighter, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and dinner between 6 and 11 p.m. Restaurants in small towns and villages are often open for shorter hours than in larger cities.
Classics of Salvadoran cuisine
The country is home to many of the recipes widely shared by its Central American neighbors. Here are a few emblematic dishes:
Cousin to Mexico's tamales, nacatamal is made withmasa (mashed corn), stuffed with meat, wrapped in corn or banana leaves, then steamed. Other similar dishes include tamales de frijoles, tamugas and montucas.
Tajadas and tostones are crispy, tasty plantain chips, often used as a garnish.
Pastelitos are small turnovers filled with minced meat, perfect for an aperitif.
Rice is a must. You'll find it sautéed with black beans, onions and various spices, under different names depending on the region: gallo pinto, arroz con frijoles or casamiento. There's alsoarroz con pollo : a rice and chicken dish coloured with roucou. Frijolesrefritos is plain rice topped with a coarse black bean purée.
For those who prefer soups, let's not forget the sopa de frijoles: a black bean soup served with rice, tortillas, sour cream, fromage frais and avocado. Sop mondongo is also a tripe-based soup.
Guacamole, a Central American staple, is a side dish made with avocado, onions and lemon.
As for grills and barbecues, meat lovers can choose between carne asada (grilled meat, often beef or pork), chorizo (not to be confused with Spanish chorizo, Central American chorizo is more like a spicy sausage), carnitas (minced marinated pork) or chicharrónes (pork belly or bacon). The term " churrasco " refers to a variety of barbecued meats, served with tasty sauces.
Recipes from the sea are also worth mentioning, with dishes such as rondón, a fish stew with coconut milk, and ceviche de camarones, shrimp cooked in lime juice.
But El Salvador also has its own specialties. The country's most emblematic dish is pupusa. This thick flatbread made from corn or rice flour is stuffed with cheese, chicharrón and refried beans. Some restaurants even offer pupusas stuffed with shrimp or vegetables. Street stalls sell panes rellenos ("stuffed bread"), sandwiches filled with turkey, chicken, sausage, cabbage and tomato. El Salvador's yuca frita consists of fried manioc served with curtido (pickled cabbage, onion and carrot) and chicharron.
Gallo en chicha is a rooster stew simmered in chicha (fermented corn drink) and brown sugar. Pollo encebollado is a chicken-based dish cooked with a generous amount of onions. Pavo salvadoreño is a recipe for roast turkey in tomato sauce, often eaten at Christmas. Sopa de pata is a hearty soup made with beef feet, tripe, manioc and various vegetables. Also noteworthy is cóctel de conchas, a specialty made with black clams(conchas negras), diced onions and tomatoes, coriander and lime juice.
Desserts and drinks
A multitude of desserts can also be found throughout the region. For example, tres leches(sponge cake soaked in sweetened condensed milk and topped with whipped cream) and arroz con leche (rice pudding) are found in El Salvador, as are the classic egg flan, torrejas (cinnamon French toast) and rosquillas (fritters). Quesadilla salvadoreña is a kind of pound cake made with rice flour and queso duro blanco, topped with sesame seeds. Marquesote is a sponge cake flavored with cinnamon and aniseed.
Coffee, imported to Central America by Spanish colonists in the 18th century, is an important beverage. Coffee plants are grown here, in the ideal humidity and coolness of the mountainous region. Coffee plantations are open to the public and often make fascinating excursions for coffee lovers. The processes involved in growing, picking and roasting coffee are explained, and it's also possible to buy coffee directly from the growers, without any middlemen. The most widely grown varieties in the area are Arabica, including Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí and Typica. Here, coffee is generally drunk black, but with plenty of sugar, whether at breakfast or during a mid-afternoon break, accompanied by a snack. Hot chocolate is also widely consumed.
In addition to coffee, El Salvador and its neighbouring countries abound in tropical fruits, such as papaya, pineapple, passion fruit, banana, mango and avocado. Fruits less well known in Europe include sapote (orange pulp, apricot and pumpkin flavour), jocote (more acidic) and tamarind (sour pulp, much appreciated as a drink).
Typical drinks in El Salvador and surrounding countries are infused waters(agua fresca), made with roselle hibiscus flowers(agua de Jamaica) or various fruit pieces(agua de ensalada).Atole is a creamy corn-based drink. Finally, chicha is a fermented or non-fermented corn-based drink, with fruit and unrefined sugar(panela).
The most popular alcohol in the region is beer, and in El Salvador the leading brands are Cadejo and Regia. Rum is also an important spirit in the region. Ron Cihuatán is El Salvador's only rum distiller.
