While Mexican food has long been a fixture of the Chicago culinary scene, the last decade has also brought us the varied Central American flavors of Belizan, Costa Rican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran chow. And anyone who likes snacking Salvadoran-style knows the joys of the pupusa. This meat- or cheese-stuffed cousin of the Mexican gordita is made by tucking the chosen filling in a ball of corn meal and then flattening it into a chubby disk. After it’s griddle-fried to a crisp, the pancake-sized dumpling is topped with a cool cabbage, carrot and vinegar slaw and served like a tostada. You can find this Salvadoran staple at Izalco Restaurant on Lawrence Avenue or at the Salvadoran food stand on the northwest corner of the Cricket Hill soccer field during soccer season. But our latest pupusa spotting was at Uptown’s Pupuseria el Rinconcito Hispano, where they also make a mean z10(greater than)banana leaf-wrapped Salvadoran tamale.
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