PHOENIX — It kind of looks like a quesadilla, but not quite, so what exactly is a pupusa?
“So a pupusa is basically a handmade corn Tortilla. It’s thicker than a regular tortilla. So as you’re making a tortilla, you put the filling that you’re going to use, the most traditional ones being pork and cheese, bean and cheese. Also, loroco and cheese. [Loroco] is a plant from El Salvador,” said Yesenia Ramirez.
Yesenia Ramirez and her family run the four Salvadoreño restaurants across the Phoenix metro. Their pupusas are so popular with customers because you can get them just about any way you want.
“We’ve added steak and cheese, chicken and cheese. We even do a shrimp and cheese pupusa as well in the restaurant,” said Ramirez.
Salvadoran food is a combination of many cuisines because of its close proximity to Mexico and other Central American Countries. 11:23 Geographically we’re in Central America. So we have a lot of similarities with the Mexican cuisine like rice, beans and tortillas. But we also have a lot of similarities with South American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine.
So the next time you hear the word, "pupusas," tell your friends what this Central American tortilla is all about. And Yesenia guarantees once you try it, you’ll be back for more.
You can attend the Arizona Pupusas Festival this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at First Church of UCC at 1407 N. 2nd Street in Phoenix. Tickets are $5 plus the cost of pupusas. All the proceeds will benefit the church, which helps with a lot of necessary services in the area.