Pupusas Salvadoran stuffed corn cakes

Pupusas are thick, handmade corn (or rice) flour cakes stuffed with a savory filling and griddled until golden, recognized as the national dish of El Salvador. The Salvadoran government declared the second Sunday of November as the National Day of the Pupusa in 2005, celebrating its cultural significance.

The masa base is traditionally prepared from masa harina (corn flour treated with lime/calcium hydroxide, a technique of Mesoamerican origin) mixed with water and salt. A rice flour variant, pupusas de arroz, uses finely ground rice flour for a lighter, gluten-free texture. The dough is formed into a ball, indented, filled, sealed, and flattened into a thick disc roughly 4–5 inches in diameter.

Canonical fillings include: queso (soft cheese, typically quesillo a mild, stringy cheese); chicharrón (finely ground, seasoned fried pork rinds, not to be confused with chicharrón as crispy skin); frijoles refritos (refried beans); revueltas (a mix of beans, cheese, and chicharrón); loroco (a floral edible bud native to Central America, prized for its earthy, slightly nutty flavor); ayote or zapallo (squash); espinaca (spinach); and jalapeño con queso (jalapeño and cheese). The stuffed cakes are cooked on a comal a flat griddle without oil, until the exterior is lightly charred and the filling is molten.

Pupusas are served with curtido, a tangy, lightly fermented cabbage slaw seasoned with oregano and chile (often resembling a Salvadoran take on sauerkraut), and a thin, mildly spicy tomato-based salsa. The curtido and salsa are applied by the eater, often spooned directly onto the pupusa.

Distinguishing pupusas from similar Latin American griddle cakes: gorditas (Mexico) are thicker, often split open and stuffed after cooking; arepas (Venezuela/Colombia) are made from pre-cooked corn flour (masarepa), not masa harina, and are typically split and filled; tlacoyos (Mexico) are oval, filled with beans or fava, and topped with salsa and cheese. Pupusas are unique in being stuffed before griddling, with the filling fully enclosed in the masa.

Dietary notes: Pupusas can be vegan-friendly when filled with beans, squash, or loroco (no cheese or meat). The rice flour variant is naturally gluten-free. Meat-included options (chicharrón, revueltas) are not halal or kosher by default; certification depends on preparation. Quesillo is typically a cow’s milk cheese, so lactose-intolerant individuals should verify.

Los Angeles, home to the largest Salvadoran diaspora outside El Salvador (concentrated in Pico-Union, Westlake, and Van Nuys), has made pupusas a staple of the city’s street-food and restaurant scene, often served with curtido and salsa as a complete meal.