If you can appreciate a tamal or a corn tortilla taco, then venture out into the exciting world of other corn masa foods. Mexico itself has countless other masa dishes such as chocoyotes and huaraches, but today we’ll discuss El Salvador’s pupusas at Selena’s Salvadorian.
The corn flatbread is about a quarter-inch thick. In El Salvador, they are stuffed with ingredients such as cheese, loroco buds, beans, and chicharrón (pork). Additionally, they are topped with a lightly fermented slaw (curtido) and a spicy tomato salsa.
At Selena’s Salvadorian Food, choose from a variety of pupusas. For the traditional pupusa close to the description above, order the Regular Pupusa ($3.75 regular, $6.99 grande) with refried pinto beans, mozzarella cheese mix, and chicharrones. Be warned, the salsa might be more potent than you’d expect.
While the pupusas star at Selena’s, they also offer a variety of affordable options. Here are a few of the highlights:
Selena’s Salvadorian Food Highlights
- Vegan Tamale ($3) – stuffed with spinach spring mix, diced potatoes, diced carrots, refried pinto beans; wrapped in plantain leaves
- Yuca con Chicharrón ($4.99) – topped with curtido and salsa
- Panes Rellenos ($6.99) – toasted bolillo roll stuffed with chicken marinated in chile guajillo, chile morita, tomatoes, onion, sesame seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, thyme, cinnamon, garlic; with mayo, mustard, cucumbers, radish, tomatoes, curtido
- Pastelitos Salvadorenos ($4.99 for 3, $7.99 for 5) – crispy empanadas stuffed with ground beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, red bell pepper, garlic
- El Poco Loco ($7.99) – chicken bowl layered with brown rice, potatoes, carrots, grilled green chili, curtido
Read our September 2019 article Selena’s brings Salvadorian food to former Desert Island Eatery space.
Selena’s Salvadorian Restaurant is located at 2513 N. Campbell Ave. Keep up with Selena’s Salvadorian Restaurant on Facebook.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
