I’m not exaggerating when I say that nobody will let you eat alone here. Nor will they allow themselves to eat alone. That’s to say that they’ll sit with you if you want to eat, or if they’re eating something and see that you aren’t eating, they’ll offer you some of whatever they’re having. The concept of sharing food here is so strong that it made me re-think my strict vegan diet, only because I had to deny such an important part of Salvadoran culture.
A local mentor, Peggy, came to live here during the civil war. At one point, she was traveling in a truck in the countryside with some other Salvadorans escaping a battle zone, and the truck crashed. Everyone was left stranded in a field with no choice but to wait until help arrived in the next few days. A Salvadoran mother with her newborn baby had tortillas with her. She pulled them out that evening for dinner, offering Peggy some tortillas. Peggy didn’t want to accept, saying, "Don’t you need those for you and the baby?"
But the mother simply replied, "No. Today we share our food, tomorrow we share our hunger."
The warmth I feel in pupusas manages to represent a general warmth and care for others that I feel from my friendships and connections here in El Salvador.
Next time you eat, try to eat with company. Share your food if you have it, and accept food if you don’t. You’ll be surprised how much better the food tastes, and how much more you enjoy the company, when sharing warmth and care amongst people.
