Salvadorans celebrate giant pupusa festival despite rain

Hundreds of Salvadorans and foreign tourists gathered in Olocuilta, a district in the La Paz Oeste region of El Salvador, to attend the 22nd edition of the Festival de las Pupusas.

The event took place on November 8 to coincide with the National Day of the Pupusa, a holiday established by a legislative decree in 2005. The Asociación de Comerciantes de Pupusas de Arroz de Olocuilta (ACPAMOL) organized the festival at the pupusódromo El Manguito.

During the event, attendees watched as workers spent approximately 90 minutes preparing a giant pupusa measuring 5.5 meters in diameter. The massive dish contained a variety of flavors, including chipilín, shrimp, chicken, garlic, and beans with cheese. Even as rain fell during the festivities, the crowd remained at the venue to watch the preparation and wait for portions of the food. The event also featured a transition of family tradition.

Carmen de Miranda, who spent 10 years helping to prepare the country's largest pupusa, attended the festival even though she has retired from the physical labor. Her daughter, Silvia Miranda, took over the role of preparing the giant dish. The preparation process used 1,000 pounds of ingredients, including 500 pounds of rice flour, 300 pounds of cheese, 100 pounds of beans, and 100 pounds of chicharrón.