A pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador and Honduras made with cornmeal or rice flour, similar to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. In El Salvador, it has been declared the national dish and has a specific day to celebrate it. It is usually stuffed with one or more ingredients, which may include cheese, chicharrón, squash, or refried beans. It is typically accompanied by curtido and tomato salsa, and is traditionally eaten by hand.
Pupusa
Making pupusas in Las Chinamas, El Salvador
Traditional pupusas in El Salvador are cooked over wood fire, using a pottery griddle called a comal.
Pupusas revueltas stuffed with meat, beans and cheese
Arepa is a type of flatbread made of ground maize dough stuffed with a filling, eaten in northern parts of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Central America.
An arepa de pabellón stuffed with cheese, fried plantains, black beans and braised beef.
Arepas being prepared.
Street vendor selling grilled arepas on bijao leaves in Barranquilla.
Colombian arepa con queso(arepa with cheese)