Pupusa

The pupusa is a thick maize flatbread stuffed before cooking, and its ancestry is pre-Columbian: griddled maize cakes were a staple of the region long before European contact, and archaeological finds in El Salvador point to a very long history.

El Salvador has given the dish formal status, declaring it the national dish and establishing a national pupusa day, observed in November. Pupuserías are found in every town, and Salvadoran emigration has carried them across the Americas.

The dough uses masa — maize treated by nixtamalisation, the alkaline cooking process developed in Mesoamerica that softens the grain and makes its nutrients available.

A ball of masa is flattened, filled, then closed and patted flat again, so the filling is fully enclosed rather than folded in. The patting is done between the palms and takes practice; experienced cooks produce perfectly round, even discs at speed.

Traditional fillings are quesillo, a soft stretchy cheese; chicharrón, pork ground to a paste rather than left in pieces; and refried beans. Revuelta combines all three and is the most popular order.

Loroco, an edible flower bud with a distinctive herbal flavour, is a characteristically Salvadoran addition, usually paired with cheese.

Pupusas are cooked on a hot comal until blistered and lightly charred, and cheese that escapes and crisps on the griddle is considered a bonus rather than a mistake.

They are always served with curtido — a lightly fermented cabbage slaw with carrot, onion and oregano in vinegar — and a thin, mild tomato salsa. The curtido's acidity is essential against the rich, starchy base.

They are eaten by hand, torn and dipped, and ordered by the piece. Two or three make a meal, and they are as common at breakfast as at dinner.