Elevating the humble corn tortilla to a tasty snack

Marta shaping a corn tortilla, the first step in preparing a pupusa at Pupuseria Las Americas, a Salvadoran restaurant on Salem Street in Hackensack.

Corn tortillas are stuffed with cheese, frijoles (above) or cheese and ground meat; cooked on a griddle and served with coleslaw and hot sauce.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I stopped at Pupuseria Las Americas in Hackensack to pick up three traditional Salvadoran stuffed corn tortillas.

Pupusas come filled with cheese, beans or cheese and ground meat, and they are usually topped with coleslaw and hot sauce ($1.50 each).

At home, I shared my takeout order with my wife, and agree with her the cheese-stuffed pupusa is the tastiest.

I tried the bean pupusa also, but she sampled all three.

The restaurant has about 20 seats and an open kitchen.

Pupuseria Las Americas has a full menu of appetizers; and meat, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Italian food, too

The owner says he offers Italian pasta dishes -- Penne a la Casa Linda, Ravioli Pomodoro and Linguine Bolognese --  and other Italian food because he spent many years cooking in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant.

Italian food also is extremely popular in El Salvador, he said.

Pupuseria Las Americas, 7 E. Salem St., Hackensack; 201-647-5300. Open 7 days. Metered parking on Moore and Main streets.