What are the basic grains of El Salvador? As you may know, each country has its own staple grains, some share basic grains in common because they are neighboring countries or because they are located in the same geographical area and share a similar culture.
In the case of El Salvador, it has staple grains similar (but not necessarily identical) to those of its neighboring countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. It is worth remembering that the area where most of the aforementioned countries are located has long been known as Mesoamerica. South of Panama, the diet changes slightly, though not radically.
Even though countries are in the same geographical area, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will have the same staple grains as there are always cultural differences and characteristics unique to each country. Thus, although El Salvador’s basic grains are similar to those of its neighboring countries, there may be some differences.
Why the difference in staple grains?
Partly it depends on the Ministry of Agriculture of each country, as this ministry decides what to include in its list of staple grains, and this largely depends on what the population of each country has in its daily diet.
Similarity with more distant countries
Having mentioned the differences, it’s worth discussing the similarities. Just to give an example, Peru, while located on the same continent, is about 3,000 kilometers away (or more), and it’s normal for the basic grains of Peru to be different from those of El Salvador, but despite that, they have grains in common, such as corn and rice as part of their list of basic grains.
List of Basic Grains in El Salvador
There are a total of four grains considered basic in El Salvador. Let’s see what they are:

Rice
The scientific name of rice is Oryza sativa, and in El Salvador, it is widely used, especially at lunchtime. It is consumed fried or simply boiled as a side dish or accompaniment to the main dish of a meal.
Is rice cultivated in El Salvador?
Yes, for example, in the Zapotitán valley, this crop can be found. The size of rice production in El Salvador is not insignificant as, according to AREZA (Association of Irrigation District #1 of Zapotitán), approximately 1,800 “manzanas” (a unit of land measurement) of this staple grain are cultivated in the aforementioned valley.

Corn
Its scientific name is Zea mays. Of all the staple grains in El Salvador, corn is probably the most utilized since tortillas, pupusas, tamales are made with it, and it’s also an ingredient used in other dishes.
Notably, in El Salvador, the corn that is produced and traditionally cultivated is white corn. Yellow corn has traditionally been imported as national production is characterized by white corn. It can be said that white corn is the local corn of Central America.
The reason tortillas and pupusas are not yellow, especially tortillas. A tortilla should ideally be white.
Let me give you an example: once I went to buy at the market, and the tortillas they gave me had a yellowish color. The lady who gave me the tortillas clarified that the color was because they used yellow corn to make the tortillas.
This is just a small example illustrating how the lady clarified to customers the reason for the tortilla’s color, since what is normal and what the population in El Salvador is accustomed to is that tortillas are white. The only exception is taco tortillas (which are bought in supermarkets or stores), as some of those tortillas tend to be yellow.
But in that case (referring to taco tortillas), it’s not unusual for the tortilla to be yellow because the taco tortilla is different from the one cooked in El Salvador. The Salvadoran tortilla is thick, and the taco tortilla is thin.

Beans
Beans are a common side dish that Salvadorans usually consume mainly in the morning at breakfast or dinner, although they can also be eaten at lunch; however, eating beans at lunch is not usual.
They can be eaten at that time but it’s not typical. Normally, they are eaten either at breakfast or at dinner, or both.
The scientific name of the bean is Phaseolus vulgaris, and it is widely cultivated in El Salvador, although national production is less than the amount consumed (the deficit is imported from neighboring countries). There are ongoing efforts to ensure that national production meets 100% of domestic demand.
Sorghum (maicillo)
Sorghum is known in El Salvador as maicillo. Its scientific name is Sorghum bicolor L., and it is used in animal feed, making it a staple grain for feeding animals that will, in turn, produce other products.

This basic grain is important for that reason; it is used to feed animals, especially birds. Interestingly, at least as far as I know, the only way people consume maicillo is in the form of a kind of sweet called “alboroto.” Alboroto is made from maicillo.
In summary, grains that are considered priority or basic grains in El Salvador are rice, corn, beans, and sorghum (maicillo).
Interestingly, wheat is not considered a basic grain, which is understandable since wheat is not a grain cultivated or produced in El Salvador; it is a grain that needs to be imported from other countries.
However, although wheat is not a basic grain, it is an important grain in the Salvadoran diet because most of the population, in addition to eating tortillas, also eats bread. In El Salvador, this bread is known as “pan francés” (French bread), not to mention that wheat flour is also used to make “pan dulce” (sweet bread).