I was first introduced to the pupusas at Dutterer Park by one of my coworkers. During one of our work days, she asked me if I liked Latin American food. The answer being "of course!", she casually informed me that every weekend in the spring and summer there was a soccer league that played at a local park, and one of her neighbors had set up a stand to sell her homemade pupusas. Sure enough, when we went to check it out we found the Carroll County Hispanic Soccer League and one or two tents selling delicious homemade Latin American food. Carroll County can be fairly white-washed as far as racial breakdown goes, but all of a sudden I found myself in a position I've been familiar with on my food adventures in many urban metropolises: the only white person around. Very rarely, if ever, do I get the experience of being immersed in a different culture while in Carroll County, so this was very welcome.
Usually the pupusa tent is busy with throngs of soccer supporters, and once you wend your way to the front of the line there is normally a bit of a wait for food. No matter; there is always a great soccer game to watch! I prefer to sit slightly back from the main group of spectators with their lawn chairs, on a bench where it is easier to balance my food. There is always an enthusiastic group and lots of young soccer players practicing their skills on the sidelines while you wait for your pupusas to be ready.
You can get pupusas filled with shredded meat, white cheese, or both--there is possibly also a version with beans, which I don't believe I've ever tried. I usually prefer mine with plain cheese, though it is definitely a lactose overload! The pupusas come topped with a refreshing cabbage salad which goes perfectly with the fried cornmeal dough and mountains of cheese. And it's really as simple as that--a quick and easy snack to enjoy while watching the soccer game.
If you'd like to catch a game and enjoy some pupusas, the Carroll County Hispanic Soccer League plays on weekends throughout the spring and summer at Dutterer Park.
Dutterer Park
Monroe St. and Pennsylvania Avenue
Westminster, MD 21157
