Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Pu-pusas (chuckle): Gloria's Pupuseria

Pupusas...saying it still makes me giggle ("pupu"= feces in spanish).

For any of you that are not familiar with this CENTRAL American delicacy, Pupusas are very similar but are not to Mexican Gorditas or Memelas or Arepas. They are all made of a type of corn Masa (dough), although not as concentrated as Mexican Masa, they are all griddled in the wonderful grease of whatever the stuffing may be which will most likely be some sort of pork, cheese and beans or all three. They are all street food. But where it's Mexican Ancestors dough is cooked and then stuffed (except Memelas), pupusas are cooked already with the filling in them. And these aren't eaten with salsa and lechuga but with curtido, a vinegared cabbage relish spiked with peppers and oregano and a watery thinned out tomato sauce only humming with spicy notes instead of making you gasp for air for relief.

I happen to have a fancy for the disks at Gloria's Pupuseria in Bell Gardens if you're ever out in that area or even if you're not. In a city that's continually getting taken over by your usual evil chains, it seems like the only place that refuses to give in, fighting them with their own little 3 restaurants.

A jar of curtido, sometimes purple cabbage, sometimes white and a jug filled with that water-thin tomato sauce awaits you in every table. They have the usual pupusas with braised Chicharron (pork rind), Loroco con Queso (an edible flower with cheese) and frijoles (beans). If you're feeling crazy get the mixta (mix of all three) or just the frijoles if you're not or just vegan. They also have other salvadorean specialties if you manage to pull yourself from those pleasurable Pupusas. Oh you can also get them with chewy rice flour masa for any of you Omnivore's Dilemma readers out there.

6919 "B" S. Eastern Ave.
Bell Gardens, CA 90201
(323) 771-4988

2514 "A" E. Florence Ave
Hungtinton Park, CA 90255
(323) 588-6454

5956 Santa Fe Ave.
Huntington Park, CA 90255
(323) 583-7667

5 comments:

Oishii Eats said...

Mmm pupusas!

My favorite pupuseria is at Altacatl on Berendo and Beverly...so freegin good.

Anonymous said...

ey el salvador is not south america...its central america...also i recommend the pupusas on slauson and pacific in hungtington park, cojutepeque

glutster said...

crap...sorry, i still can't tell my east's/south/west/ myself so sincere apologies, but i DID know that though, trust me.

Anonymous said...

Cojutepeque is actually on 2514 E Gage Ave, Huntington Park, CA 90255. I've been to all these pupuserias, and Cojutepeque is still my favorite.

glutster said...

thanks!

...wonder why it had that number on their card.