“I Want to Show People That Salvadoran Food Is Unique, That There's More to It Than Pupusas”

One of the big reasons I started Popoca was to show people that Salvadoran food is unique, that there’s more to it than pupusas. I had always cooked progressive American food, but I never felt like the food was mine. I began spending more time in El Salvador visiting family there, and every time I would try a new dish I was amazed. Finally, I was like, “I’m Salvadoran, this is what I should be doing.” Once I started studying and staging and exploring more, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The recipes and techniques in this story are versions of the ones that drew me into this world of cooking, modified first for my restaurant and then again for the home cook. They’re the ones that made me want to dig deeper, and I think that they can do that for you too.

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit