While Thanksgiving in the United States largely revolves around turkey, the protein often gets a bad rap for being too dry, bland and boring. At Salvadoran households, however, families are eating the juiciest turkeys you can imagine. Salvadorans have perfected chumpe – how the Central American country refers to the bird. Relajo – a mix of pumpkin seeds, peanuts, chile guaco, bay leaves, peppercorn, oregano and more flavorful ingredients – is used to make a brownish salsa criolla. The broth is poured over the turkey multiple times as it cooks. (Salvadoran-style turkey is no joke, so make sure you profusely thank the chef.)
While some families opt to eat the turkey with sides – often a mix of traditional American and Latin American dishes – during Thanksgiving, others eat panes con chumpe, a French bread roll stuffed with slices of turkey, a slaw and drenched in that mouthwatering sauce. But whether you choose panes con chumpe as your main meal or as leftovers, Salvadorans can agree that it’s the most delicious morsel to pass their lips.
In honor of panes con pavo season, here’s why Salvadoran-style turkey is unmatched, as told by Twitter: