Food of Central America: El Salvador

Some Info about the Food of El Salvador

El Salvador is a country where nowadays everybody speak Spanish.  It used to be the home of the Pipil Indians, until the Spanish conquest was made.  Those Indians were most of them massacred in 1932, so the ones who were alive in those days started speaking Spanish too, and also getting dressed like Spanish people.  Anyway, their cultural inheritance remains.  Traditional food derives from the Mayas, the Lencas and the Pipils.  From them the Salvadorian learned to enjoy the taste of corn, which is included in most of their dishes.

Therefore, the Mayan influence is very important, mixed with the Spanish contribution, to make delicious and very healthy dishes, which influenced its neighbor countries also.   
For that reason, indigenous food like corn, beans tomatoes, squash, and fruits, together with the Spanish influence, make a very varied and rich cuisine in this country.

Recipe of Gallo Pinto from El Salvador

Ingredients:

¼ cup of oil
2 onions
2 green peppers
3 cloves of garlic
1 pound of cooked red beans (save the water where they were boiled)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons thinly cut celery
3 cups of cooked rice
¼ cup of grated cheese

Procedure:

In a large pan, heat the oil, and there put the onions, and peppers, the garlic and cook them for a couple of minutes.

Add then the beans with their liquid, the nutmeg and the celery, and let it all get to a boil together. Cook covered for five minutes.

Add the rice. Put the fire off and let it stay for five more minutes in the covered pan.
Uncover, put it in a serving dish and cover with the grated cheese.
Great to eat with hot dogs!  Serve this with a curtido in the same dish.