GASTRONOMY IN EL SALVADOR

If you  are about to visit El Salvador , have visited it , live in El Salvador or even lived there but now live abroad , it is really important to know what typical food  you can find in this wonderful country . This post will help you to know or even better to  remember what El Salvador´s typical food looks like. If you´ve been in El Salvador and have never tried these food you should go back there and give a taste to all of them. Let´s learn a little bit about El Salvador. El Salvador is a tiny country on the Pacific coast which  has made a rich contribution to Central American cooking. 

The cuisine of El Salvador is similar to that of its neighbors, with a strong reliance on indigenous foods like corn, beans, squash and tomatoes.

The influence of Mayan culture is quite strong, mixed in with contributions from the Spanish kitchen. Pupusas and curtido may be the most well known Salvadorean dishes, but other tasty dishes include pavo salvadoreño, atol de elote, quesadilla and semita.  

Let´s begin with  ...

ATOL DE ELOTE

 A salvadorean family preparing corn for the atol

Atoles are very popular beverages in El Salvador with roots in Mayan cuisine. They are a sort of thick drink often eaten with a spoon. Atol de elote is based on fresh corn (elote) and has a wonderfully fresh flavor. For ultimate effect, serve it in a bowl made out of a dried calabash gourd.

TAMALITOS DE ELOTE

Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in Mexico


 and throughout Central America. In El Salvador and 


Guatemala they are often served as the starchy portion of


 a meal. The fresh elote, or corn, used in Central America 


has a higher starch content than that in the United 


States, but the addition of masa harina in this recipe


 produces a very good approximation of the original.

How you can prepare Tamalitos de elote  is explained in the following video give it a try and enjoy them .

THEY LOOK DELICIOUS !!!

  PUPUSAS

 Pupusas are similar to corn tortillas, only thicker and stuffed with cheese, beans or meat. The pupusa originated in El Salvador, but it is also popular in neighboring Honduras. Pupusas are traditionally made by slapping the dough back and forth between greased palms. A tortilla press is quicker and easier for beginners.

I SHOULD GET ONE OF THIS!!!!

As you can see pupusas look great and they taste delicious...I f you ever visit El Salvador make sure you try them..

ATOL SHUCO

The atol Shuco is a hot drink  made of corn that contains alguashte ( a mixture of differents seeds cooked and then blended)  it can also be served with beans grains and hot sauce which makes it delicious.Shuco is preferably taken by the end of the day, although it can be enjoyed in the early hours of the morning.This drink can be found near the popular cinemas, bus terminals, parks and some street corners, close to markets, and in some square towns.

The customers are quite varied, is formed by workers, students, professionals,farmers, employees … all together for the pleasure of tasting the Shuco.

This drink is served in containers that are made of morro then they add theground powder pumpkin, beans, chile and served with bread. These ingredients enrich the atol. Between sips, customers exchanged talks on labor issues,sports, domestic .. is a moment of conviviality.

Mrs. Shuquera keeps a lid on the pot containing the atol, on a small charcoal stove with burning coals, which keeps it warm.

This famous drink is sold across de country. There are ladies which have become famous over time, as everyone knows them by atol Shuco preparation,and they have been learning from generation to generation about the business.

  

ELOTE LOCO 

If you have never tried one of this you should immediately buy some ears of corn and prepare them since they are very easy to make.   This delicious way of preparing corn it is usually tasted in Ferias or local carnivals.  If you go to a salvadoran carnival (fiestas julias, agostinas, San Miguel Carnival and so forth) you seriously need to buy one.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard or regular mustard
• 
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 
  
• 12 ears corn in husks
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated queso blanco (5 1/2 oz) or
• 
  
•  mozzarella Parmigiano-Reggiano or
• 
  

• Accompaniments:
  
  
  Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce

How to make:

• Remove husks and silk

• Boil Corn
  
  
• Stir together mustard, mayonnaise
  
  
• Skewer corn with a wooden skewer down the center
  
  
• Serve corn brushed with mustard-mayo mixture, 
  
  
  sprinkle with cheese, then top with Worcestershire 
  
  
  sauce, and hot sauce (hot sauce is optional)