After trying the pupusas (stuffed griddle cakes) at El Guanaco Taqueria y Pupuseria in North County, we understand why El Salvador has a national holiday celebrating the dish. The queso con loroco option was our favorite – the small, juicy buds of the loroco vine (found in Central America and Mexico) are a perfect textural counterpoint to the soft-yet-crispy corn cake’s gooey cheese filling. Tear off a piece and pile on some of the accompanying curtido, a piquant cabbage slaw, or dunk it in smoky tomato salsa. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect bite.
This article appears in December 2020.