History

Washington DC has the largest Salvadoran population in the United States. The community settled along Mount Pleasant Street, Columbia Heights and Wheaton MD through the 1980s civil-war refugee waves, and pupuserias spread from the corner of 16th and Mount Pleasant outward. The pupusa, a thick hand-patted corn cake stuffed with cheese, refried beans, chicharron pork or loroco flower, is El Salvador's national dish and DC's defining street snack. It is griddled on a flattop until lightly golden, then served with curtido (a fermented cabbage relish) and a thin tomato salsa. Don Juan's on Mount Pleasant, Pupuseria San Miguel on 14th and Los Hermanos in Wheaton run the canonical versions.

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Common allergens: Dairy, Corn

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 45 minTotal 75 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g masa harina (instant corn flour)
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 550ml warm water
  • 300g shredded mozzarella or Salvadoran queso quesillo
  • 200g refried red beans (optional, for revueltas)
  • 1 small white cabbage, shredded, plus 1 carrot grated, mixed with 60ml white vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt for curtido
  • 200g chopped tomatoes, blended with quarter onion and salt for salsa

Method

  1. Mix masa, salt and warm water in a bowl until you have a soft, pliable dough. Cover and rest 10 minutes.
  2. Pinch off a golf-ball of dough. Flatten into a thick disc on your palm, indent the centre with your thumb, fill with a tablespoon of cheese (and a teaspoon of refried beans for a revuelta), pinch the dough closed, then re-flatten gently into a 10cm disc 1cm thick.
  3. Heat a dry cast-iron griddle or flat pan over medium heat. Griddle each pupusa 3 to 4 minutes a side, until lightly browned and slightly puffed. The cheese should ooze at the edges.
  4. Serve immediately with a heap of curtido on top and the tomato salsa on the side.

Tip from the editors. Wet your hands with water as you shape each pupusa to prevent sticking; a dry hand cracks the dough at the seam.

Where to eat salvadoran pupusas

Salvadoran pupusas in Washington DC

Tortilla Cafe ★ 4.1

$ Street food

Tortilla Cafe in Washington DC is the Capitol Hill 7th Street Salvadoran-Mexican counter across from Eastern Market, with pupusas, tacos and Salvadoran.

TryPupusas and tacos al pastor

TipOutdoor sidewalk seats are the move at lunch; the pupusas come three to a plate with curtido for $11.

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