Curtido (with Pineapple Vinegar)
El Salvador's answer to sauerkraut - a bright, crunchy fermented slaw that's the perfect foil to rich pupusas and grilled meats. This version uses homemade pineapple vinegar for a subtle tropical sweetness that beautifully balances the spice.
What you'll need:
- 1 small green cabbage (about 800g), finely shredded
- 2 medium carrots, julienned or grated
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1-2 jalapeños or other chillies, sliced (adjust to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano is traditional)
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 500ml filtered water
- 3 tablespoons pineapple vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if you haven't made your batch yet)
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- 1.5-2 litre glass jar
- Fermentation weight or small jar to keep vegetables submerged
- Lid or cloth cover
Method:
- Prepare vegetables: Shred cabbage finely, julienne carrots, slice onion and chillies thin. Combine in your large bowl with garlic and oregano.
- Create brine: Dissolve salt in the water. Add the pineapple vinegar - its natural sweetness and tropical notes complement the heat from the chillies while the acidity kickstarts fermentation.
- Pack your jar: Transfer vegetable mixture to your jar, pressing down gently. Pour brine over to cover completely, ensuring vegetables are submerged.
- Weight down: Place a weight on top to keep everything under the brine. Leave 5cm headspace.
- Ferment: Cover with a lid (loosen it daily to release gas) or cloth. Keep at room temperature. Taste after 2-3 days.
- Ready to eat: Most people prefer curtido after just 3-5 days when it's tangy but still crisp and bright. The pineapple vinegar adds subtle complexity that develops beautifully. Transfer to the fridge when it reaches your preferred tang. It will keep for months.
Serving suggestions: Traditionally piled on top of pupusas, but brilliant with tacos, carnitas, grilled fish, or anywhere you'd use pickles or sauerkraut. The pineapple notes work especially well with pork.
My tip: The pineapple vinegar brings two benefits - it speeds up fermentation by lowering the pH, and adds a gentle tropical sweetness that makes this curtido uniquely delicious. It's a perfect example of how ferments build on each other in the kitchen.
A note about Pupusas:
Curtido's traditional partner is the pupusa - El Salvador's beloved national dish. These thick corn cakes are made from masa (corn dough), formed into rounds, stuffed with fillings like quesillo (Salvadoran cheese), refried beans, chicharrón (seasoned pork), or loroco (an edible flower bud native to Central America), then griddled until golden and slightly crispy on the outside while remaining soft and melty inside. They're served hot off the comal with curtido piled generously on top and a thin tomato salsa called salsa roja on the side. The cool, crunchy, tangy curtido is the perfect foil to the rich, warm, comforting pupusa - it's a pairing as essential as fish and chips or pasta and parmesan.
While pupusas aren't fermented (that's your curtido's job!), they're so worth making if you want the full Salvadoran experience. For an excellent authentic pupusa recipe, I recommend this one or looking up Karla Tatiana Vasquez - and her book Salvisoul Cookbook or check out her website HERE . Or watch a great New York Times video on them being made by Janet Lainez in her Red Hook food truck OLOMEGA - HERE,
If you're in Melbourne, you can order them -handmade - OH SO GOOD - here.
