Live Abroad at Home: The Art of the Pupusa

A couple days ago I took a drive down East Colfax. It was a slightly overcast day and I was looking for a place to stop and scope out. Nothing caught my eye until I came to edge of Denver and a huge red sign with a flashing LED lights entered my vision. TACOS Y PUPUSAS might be a small to-go only place but it’s impossible to miss. It’s visual protrusion from the rest of Colfax and the fact that I have heard of it before made me stop and go inside.  What I found was a small space packed with only a half a dozen people who were waiting patiently for their food. Every time something appeared from beyond the order window the room would take notice and one lucky winner would claim his prize. It was obvious these people loved the food here and especially the stuffed tortillas also known as a pupusa.

I’ve never had a pupusa before and in fact I didn’t even know they existed until recently. That is probably because it is the staple street food of El Salvador and until now I have never eaten El Salvadoran food. But I was surprised to find that we have a small but present El Salvadoran community in

Denver. From this community comes this tortilla pocket filled with cheeses and meats also known as a pupusa. It’s similar to a quesadilla but is has a different texture because of the way it is cooked and is packed with pork, beans and cheese. It is also the perfect food for “para llevar” or to-go and is a good way to switch up your take out routine. And just from watching people wait at Tacos y Pupusas, formally known as Tacos Acapulco, it is definitely worth trying.If you want to have more of an all-encompassing Salvadoran experience go to El Chalate for a sit down dinner.  The owner told me that you must try their pupusa as well as their Salvadoran desserts like their pasteles and torrejas. The place even has a market attached to it so you can get all the goods you’ll need if you decide to try making your own pupusas at home.