What is National Pupusa Day
If this is the first time you’ve ever heard of National Pupusa Day then on the second Sunday in November, you are in for a tasty treat. National Pupusa Day is an El Salvadoran holiday celebrating the pupusa, a tortilla-like flatbread filled with beans, meat and other deliciousness, is now the national dish of El Salvador — a far cry from its humble beginnings as a staple in the diet of early Indian tribes.
History of National Pupusa Day
Pupusas have a long and debated history. As of this day, both Honduras and El Salvador claim to be be the birth place of this delicious treat (although it’s more accepted as being El Salvador), with evidence showing that humans have been making pupusas at least 2000 years ago, if not longer.
It actually wasn’t until 1570 when meat was incorporated into pupusas, making that development relatively recent in its history. Before that squash blossoms, mushrooms, and other hardy veggies provided the fillings.
From there, pupusas were predominantly regional, and it wasn’t until the 1980s during the El Salvadoran civil war when a large population migrated to the United States that pupusas found their way up north. Even then, they were by and large a neighborhood treat until 2011 when the Guardian dubbed pupusas the best street food of in New York – an important distinction for a city that’s constantly on the go.
From there, pupusas gained the international claim they now enjoy today.
