National Dish · Stuffed Corn Cake

Pupusas

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Pupusas are so central to Salvadoran identity that the government made them the official national dish by law in 2005, complete with their own annual holiday.

A pupusa is a thick, hand-patted corn tortilla stuffed with melted cheese, refried beans, and/or shredded pork (chicharrón), griddled until the filling just starts to peek out. It's always served with curtido, a vinegary cabbage slaw, and a mild tomato salsa.

Why it's made this way: Historians trace it to the Indigenous Pipil and Lenca peoples, who originally filled it with squash blossoms and herbs; meat fillings only became common after Spanish colonization introduced livestock in the 1500s.