El Salvador

El Salvador keeps alive Pipil-Nahua heritage alongside artisanal crafts and a strong maize cuisine.

Food & cooking Language & oral Crafts Textile & dress Spirituality & rites

Knowledge in this place

Pupusa making

Pupusa making

Hand-patted maize griddle cakes stuffed with cheese, beans or pork, the national dish.

Nawat (Pipil) language

Nawat (Pipil) language

The endangered Nahua language of El Salvador, sustained by a small number of elder speakers and revival classes.

Language & oral

La Palma naïve painting

La Palma naïve painting

A colorful folk-art style of painting on wood and seeds developed in the town of La Palma.

Indigo (añil) dyeing

Indigo (añil) dyeing

Traditional extraction and dyeing with añil indigo, a craft revived in eastern El Salvador.

Textile & dress

Danza de los Historiantes

Danza de los Historiantes

A masked ritual dance dramatizing the encounter between Moors and Christians during town festivals.

Spirituality & rites