Salvadorans eat three meals a day. A hearty rural breakfast usually consists of eggs with tomato sauce, fried plantain (a type of green banana), fried beans combined with rice (casamiento), cheese or cream, coffee and tortillas. Tortillas are made from cornflour rolled out into a flat, round shape, baked, then cooked on round grills.

Lunch (almuerzo) is the largest meal of the day. The menu may include soup, rice and beans, steak or chicken, salad and tropical fruit such as mangoes, watermelon or jocotes, a deep-red, pitted fruit. Dinner is often similar though smaller, with more beans and rice, a meat dish and fruit. Arroz, a rich yellow rice, is a common dish, as are pollo dorado (roasted golden chicken), carne asada (roast meat, usually beef), and pollo or carne encebollado (chicken or meat stewed with vegetables). Mariscada is a type of fish stew that includes lobster, crab, shrimp and other fish.

A favourite fast food unique to El Salvador is pupusa: a tortilla stuffed with cheese, refried beans and other fillings such as beef or pork rinds. Salvadorans enjoy pupusas served with spicy pickled cabbage and hot sauce. Street vendors often sell pupusas, as well as pasteles, which are pockets of cornflour dough stuffed with meat, worked into a crescent shape and deep fried. Pasteles are also eaten at special celebrations and gatherings such as weddings, funerals and social events.

Salvadorans’ preferred drinks are coffee and hot chocolate. Licuados and refrescos (fruit drinks) are also popular. Horchata and cebada are barley-based drinks with cinnamon. Common alcoholic drinks include light beers and Tic-tac, a brand of aguadiente (liquor made from sugarcane).

Salvadoran Quesadilla

Ingredients 1 stick butter 240 ml sugar 3 eggs 240 ml flour 1 tsp baking powder 240 ml sour cream 115 g parmesan cheese, grated sesame seeds Preparation Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Combine the flour with the baking powder separately, then gradually blend into the butter mixture. Add the sour cream and cheese, and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly on a greased baking dish or pan. Top with sesame seeds. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes.