Las Pupusas

The Poh Pol Vuh contains the history of creation according to the Mayans. In it it recounts how their god made man out of clay but that did not work out because it rained and man dissolved. Eventually, man was made out of corn. In this respect, Salvadoran cuisine relies heavily on corn as will be shown in the following sections. A good cutting board is a good thing to have handy. If you are in need of one Wooden Leaves Fine Woodworking makes some beautiful end-grain boards out of domestic and exotic hardwoods.

Overview

This is the most common and most delicious Salvadoran dish. Pupusas are corn tortillas stuffed with pork, cheese, beans, loroco, or a combination of any of those (pupusas revueltas). In some places you will find pupusas stuffed with many other less common ingredients.

No one really knows when pupusas originated but you can be assured that if there are Salvadorans in the area, you will find a pupuseria nearby. They can now be found in in places such as Australia, most major US cities, Canada, etc.

Pupusas Recipe

Here's how to make bean and cheese pupusas. Like most of the cooking, exact measurements are unnecessary:

	1.- Obtain tortilla instant corn flour such as Maseca and mix with water until its consistency is such that the 'masa' (dough) does not stick to your hands.
		2.- Use refried beans and mix with 'quesillo' (you can buy this at a mexican supermarket or replace with soft cheese. Mix until the consistency is similar to the 'masa' prepared in step 1.
	3.- Take the 'masa' in your hands and make a ball about two inches in diameter. Once you finish, make a hole with your fingers, take some refriend beans and cheese mix (from step 2) and fill the hole with it.
		4.- Cover the hole with the masa and flatten by using your hands in a clapping motion. This takes practice but the goal is to make a disc.
	5.- Once you are done, place the pupusa on a preheated flat iron skillet. Leave it there until each side is cooked by noticing the dark spots (you need to flip the pupusa).
		6.- Sit down and enjoy your pupusa.