El Salvador Shopping

A detail of the stores

by mikey_e

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A detail of the stores
by mikey_e
Grand entrance to the mall
by mikey_e
Part of the food complex
by mikey_e
More of the malls
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Metrocentro
by MalenaN

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Souvenirs from El Salvador

by MalenaN

Sorpresas are made of pottery and has often got the shape of an egg or fruit. You can lift the top off and under it you have the “surprise”, there are tiny figures under the top often showing rural scenes like women washing, weaving or cooking. Sorpresas are made in the village Ilobasco. The ones you see on the picture are on display in Museo Nacional de Antropología David J Guzmán.Another souvenir is colourful painted wooden things like crosses, key rings, napkin holders and boxes. My souvenir from El Salvador is a round wooden painting to put on the wall. I bought it for 15 dollars (June 2009) at Diconte-Axul in Ataco.You will also find indigo dyed clothing, pottery, hammocks and much more in the souvenir shops.

Tamales

by thelukey

A Salvadoran-style tamal is essentially a little block of soggy corn jello filled with a green bean or two, some undercooked chucks of potato, and a chicken bone. Real appetizing, no? Prior to the time I spend living in El Salvador, I was only familiar with the firmer, drier (and, in my opinion, superior) Mexican version of the tamal. Eventually, I reached a point where I could finish and even enjoy a Salvadoran tamal – an important accomplishment since tamales are the celebratory food of choice in many Salvadoran households – but I would never put them on a list of my favorite Salvadoran foods.

Pupusa – It's What's For Breakfast, and Dinner

by thelukey

Like many small countries, El Salvador has relatively few traditions that it can claim as being uniquely its own (and not just generically Latin American or Central American). Although it's most famous sons and daughters are largely unknown outside the country’s borders, El Salvador does have one peg that it can hang its hat on – the pupusa. It's true that you can find pupusas elsewhere in Central America (and also in many US cities, now that the population of Salvadorans who reside in the US exceeds two million), but you’ll almost always find them referred to as "pupusas salvadoreñas" because the pupusa is generally recognized as one of the relatively few cultural inventions that is 100% Salvadoran (although some people do suggest that this culinary innovation actually originated in Honduras).So, you ask, what exactly is a pupusa? Basically, a pupusa is a corn tortilla stuffed with some...

Sorpresas

by canuckmike

Sorpresas are a roundish object such as an egg, apple or similar objects on a little base. Then when you lift the object up there are detailed, little scenes or figures of local daily life. There are ones with a lady at a well or a market scene or a little church scene. Also there are some adult orientated ones. A man and a woman naked together getting frisky. I guess the adult ones originated in Ilobasco which recieved some trouble from the local priest. Anyway the are good cheap (costs a couple of bucks) small souvenir that is identified with El Salvador.

Eating Flowers

by thelukey

One common Salvadoran joke remarks that Salvadorans are so poor that they even eat their national flower (the flor de izote). Other flowers that appear in Salvadoran cuisine include loroco and pitos. Pitos are most frequently cooked either with beans or with eggs, and they are said to have sleep-inducing properties similar to the chemicals contained in turkey meat.

Marañón Japonés

by thelukey

Another fruit that I first encountered in El Salvador, the “Japanese cashew fruit” is also known, in Nicaragua, as the “manzana de agua” (water apple). It has a somewhat flowery taste. Worth a try if you happen to find any on sale.

Back to the Fruits

by thelukey

Another native fruit that might be unfamiliar to many travelers, the paterna can be consumed in a number of ways. The white fuzz that surrounds the seeds can be peeled off and eaten. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor, other than to say that it’s a fairly mild flavor as far as fruits are concerned. The seeds are sometimes thrown into soups, or they can be boiled and then eaten with a touch of lemon juice, some hot sauce, and a pinch of salt.

August, Time to Buy the Anonas

by thelukey

The end of July might mean many things to many people in many places. Here in El Salvador, for me the end of July has special significance because I then know that the anona harvest is just around the corner. During each of the past three years, I've spent the better part of July pestering my friend Paty, who lives in the midst of some prime anona territory, asking her on a daily basis if the season's first anonas have ripened yet. Why? Because they're just so, so good. The mushy flesh (which can range be off-white or pale pink, depending on the variety of anona) found inside this irregular, pale green, grapefruit-sized little ball of ambrosia has the flavor and consistency of custard. If you travel through El Salvador in or around the month of August, do your taste buds a favor and hunt down some anonas in the market (where they shouldn't cost any more than $0.50 each). You'll know...

Marañón

by thelukey

Most everyone knows what a cashew is, but perhaps not everyone knows that cashews come attached to a juicy, tasty fruit called the “marañón.” I certainly didn’t know that the marañón existed until I was sent to live in El Salvador. It’s not my favorite fruit, but it’s certainly worth a try, especially when made into a “fresco” (fruit juice-based drink). Be careful if you decide to just grab one and eat is, because the juice is said to stain. This particular marañón was photographed at the Joya de Cerén archeological site.

Nances

by thelukey

One of the many fruits that I came across for the first time in El Salvador is the nance. Generally I'd rather eat dirt than nances – they smell like rotting flesh, and don’t taste much better – but they do serve as the base for a fairly decent moonshine. My friends in La Laguna gave me widely conflicting advice as to how long I should let the nance-and-molasses concoction sit and ferment. We ended up drinking mine after it had sat in a dark corner of my house for a couple of months. It didn't really seem to have much alcohol, but it did taste pretty good.

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