Notes on a Sandal

You’ve had tacos, tamales, pupusas, arepas…but have you ever had a huarache? That was my pick for dinner the other night at Tacos Lupita, the Salvadoran tacqueria in Somerville.

Huaraches hail from Mexico City, where they’re a popular form of street food (how a Salvadoran taqueria came to specialize in Mexican street food is a question I’ll need to ask next time I’m there). They start with a thick, sandle-shaped corn tortilla (hence the name, Spanish for “sandal”) topped with assorted goodies, which might include meat (pork, carne asada, chicken), beans, salsa, cactus, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and crema (Mexican sour cream).

The toppings aren’t all that different from what you’d find in a good taco, but the tortillas are. They’re quite thick and super moist…almost like very dense corn pancakes. When cooked properly, they should be a bit crisp outside. And they’re typically made fresh to order. If you’ve never had a fresh tortilla before, you’re in for a treat.