21 Salvadoran Specialties to Discover (+1 Bonus)

We dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to bringing you a special report on the cuisine of El Salvador. The result? We love Salvadoran specialties!

El Salvador isn't highly rated among tourists... And in some respects, like safety, we can understand why. Nevertheless, there are many interesting things to discover... and to devour!

It's impossible to be exhaustive: this country has an unexpected culinary richness. Every day, we were treated to new national specialties... and we're still far from having tasted them all!

Here is an overview of Salvadoran specialties including the menu:

But there are other foods that also form the foundation of Salvadoran diets, such as:

vegetables (beans, yuca...), fruits (papaya, coconut...), rice, meat and fish (chicken, seafood...), dairy products (cheese...), soup (meat, fish...)...

We can't start without the pupusa! Declared the national dish, the pupusa is an institution. When we meet Salvadorans, one of the first questions they always ask us is >!

The pupusa is a dish inherited from Salvadoran ancestors. Its name is said to derive from a >, a contraction of two Nahuatl words (or Pipil, a Mayan-origin indigenous language): pupusa comes from popotlax, a mix of popoti (big, filled) and tlaxkalli (tortilla).

Essentially, it's a large stuffed corn tortilla!

The pupusa is a thick hand-made corn cake stuffed with various ingredients depending on preferences: fresh cheese, cheese and locoro (a spice), chicharrón (fried pork), ayote (squash), beans... or even a combination of several of these ingredients (pupusa revuelta).

A typical dish from El Salvador, riguas is also made from corn. They are eaten hot, traditionally served with a banana leaf. They can be plain or enhanced with a topping like cheese, and are often accompanied by a drink of atol de elote (which I will discuss below).

A hearty breakfast to provide energy for the day ahead, as Salvadoran breakfast is generous and rich: eggs, beans, rice, fried plantains, and tortillas.

Another institution in El Salvador: pan con pavo, a turkey sandwich. Quite simple... or almost, as its unique characteristic that makes it > is the tomato sauce that accompanies it. It's impossible to eat without getting messy (you've been warned!).

A sort of Latino version of Coq au Vin, gallo en chicha can be ordered savory, sweet, or sweet-savory (the last option being more appreciated by Salvadorans). Until recently, this dish was reserved for Christmas dinner, as it's very complicated to prepare and requires many ingredients.

This dish, a mix of exotic cooking and European influences, consists of marinated meat with fruits and vegetables (corn, olives, bananas...) and a sweet broth.

Tamales can be found in many Latin American countries, each offering its own variation. Made from corn dough (why change a winning recipe?), they can be filled with... whatever you like! Sweet or savory (chicken, duck, pork, beans...), there is something for everyone. Wrapped in banana leaves, they are generally made for celebrations.

Nuegados (or buñuelos in neighboring countries) are a typical sweet dish from the country... and they're delicious! Served with a honey sauce, they also come with a typical drink: el atol de maiz (see drinks section).

The origin of this dish comes from a fusion of indigenous culinary culture and Spanish cuisine.

By the sea, nothing beats fresh fish or seafood. In Salvadoran restaurants, you will find cocteles de camarones everywhere, a dish of shrimp drenched in a sauce (of your choice) and accompanied by tomato, avocado...

Yuca is a typical dish from Honduras and El Salvador (similar to the > from Nicaragua). Made from sautéed or fried cassava, it is generally served with a Creole sauce containing pieces of pork rind, and wrapped in leaves.

However, many other dishes are also favored by Salvadorans, such as:

Chilate, present in various parts of Central America, is a drink made from... corn, yes, again!

This drink doesn't have much flavor: it has a very neutral tone, but a thick texture. It compensates for the sweetness of dishes like nuegado, with which it is traditionally paired.

There's nothing better, on the way back from the beach, than stopping by the roadside to buy a coconut and stick a straw in it. Coconut water refreshes and hydrates effectively... plus, it feels like vacation!

Between fruit juice and horchata, tamarindo is a dark drink made from tamarind, a fruit sometimes called >.

Cebada surprises with its fluorescent pink color! The ingredients of cebada are: water, cinnamon, pepper, salt, barley flour, vanilla, strawberry, sugar, and cloves.

Fresh fruit juices and > (frozen juice) galore! There's something for every taste, with flavors that are unfamiliar to us in the old continent, such as:

arrayán (fruit of the same tree!), guanabana (or soursop), marañón (cashew), mamey (a type of Caribbean apricot), cocotte (Spanish plum, red mombin or ciruela), ensalada (a fruit salad type juice made with pineapple)...

Less known than Colombian coffee, it is nonetheless a significant crop in El Salvador (especially on the historical aspect). Often exported, locals are starting to develop a taste for good coffee.

Salvadoran coffee grows on the slopes of the many hills in this hilly country.

A local drink, the equivalent of Inca Kola in Peru, ultra-sweet and with a candy-like taste!

Many other typical drinks are also available, such as:

Like me, you thought quesadillas were something savory? Well, not in El Salvador! Here, it's a particular dessert, resembling a cake in appearance and texture, with a strong cheese flavor.

Now that's cake! This banana cake, made with beans and cheese, can satisfy even the emptiest of stomachs: it's best to strategize during the meal!

One can easily understand the name of this dessert by observing its shape. This banana canoe is topped with cream (made from maicena, milk, and cinnamon) and sprinkled with some raisins.

The empiñada is a typical dessert of El Salvador, presented as a large round cake, yellow, pink, or orange, filled with honey. Sold on the street on the way back from the beach, it makes for a nice snack.

Simply put! The healthiest and best desserts. The most popular are mango, coconut, papaya, and banana.

There are still many other desserts to discover, such as:

El Salvador surprised us in many ways, but undoubtedly it was the culinary aspect that amazed us the most: we could never have imagined! We feasted... and we'll have to return to this beautiful country to continue our discovery of Salvadoran cuisine!