IN-DEPTH El Salvador

Land of Volcanoes (Tierra de Volcanes)

Central America’s Rising Star

El Salvador is famously known as the Land of Volcanoes because it is home to over 100 of them. Despite being the smallest country in Central America, it has a high concentration of volcanic peaks with over 20 considered active. El Salvador was the first country in the world to use bitcoin as legal tender. El Salvador’s population is 6 million, the capital and largest city is San Salvador. Daisy recounts her early life living in El Salvador… from earthquakes, cuisine, the music and the beach. Take an amazing can’t miss trip with Daze, back to her roots.

Name and Occupation Podcast: El Salvador Spotlight

In this special episode of the Name and Occupation Podcast,” we celebrate El Salvador, the homeland of one presenter, blending personal stories, cultural insights, and culinary demos. The show dives into El Salvador’s geography: the smallest Central American nation, bordering the Pacific Ocean exclusively. Nicknamed the “Land of Volcanoes,” it boasts over 100 volcanoes, including active ones. The flag symbolizes this volcanic landscape.

History spotlights the Mayans, indigenous innovators from 1200 BC in El Salvador (earlier in Mexico around 3500 BC), peaking AD 400-900. Advanced in math (inventing zero, using a vigesimal system) and astronomy, they created calendars for rituals and crops. Their ball game blended football, volleyball, and basketball elements, using heavy rubber balls in ritual stadiums—rules lost to time. A host shares a childhood earthquake memory: a nighttime tremor causing power outages, with family huddling for protection amid aftershocks.

Culture shines through music and art: vibrant street parties, fostering community. Amid hardships, art remains a beacon of hope. Personal anecdotes include idyllic childhoods with ocean weekends and street celebrations. Food highlights extend to seafood cocktails from seashell meat, iguana/snake dishes, banana-leaf tamales, and pupusas.

The episode ends with subscription calls, painting El Salvador as a resilient, vibrant gem.

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Interview

My El Salvador: Daysi Amaya-Maragoni

Dive deeper into the full interview!

Food

How to make Cow Tongue (El Salvador Style)

Food takes center stage with Chef Francesco preparing a four-hour cow tongue dish—boiled tender, pan-fried, served with rice, carrots, celery, sauce, coriander, and optional peppers—evoking the host’s grandmother’s recipes.