The history of the riguas is linked to El Salvador's pre-Columbian roots. The Pipil tribe, a Nahuatl-speaking people, is part of the history of the country's founding, formerly called Cuzcatlán, which means "the place of precious stones."
About the Pipil culture
The Pipil culture was heavily influenced by the Mayans located in the west of the country, known for consuming maize in all its forms.
Despite the Spanish conquest of the region in 1522, some remnants of the Pipil culture and its cuisine have persisted.
This is confirmed by the use of corn and plantain leaves, two typically local products found in kitchens across the region.
The Riguas
Riguas differ from pupusas in that the latter are always stuffed with cheese or beans, but in both cases, the preparation is based on ground or mixed maize.
In some areas of El Salvador, plantain leaves are replaced with corn leaves. In both cases, the aroma of the leaves slowly infuses the riguas as they heat, giving them a different flavor.
Cooking food in leaves of trees or plants is an ancient practice found worldwide. Often, the fruit and leaf are related, but sometimes it's the alchemy of both flavors that is sought.
For example, certain French cheeses are matured wrapped in tree leaves. In some Asian countries, rice is cooked inside a leaf. Some varieties are more aromatic than others. Be careful, however, not to use any kind of leaves indiscriminately, because while some are delicious, others can be indigestible or worse, poisonous.
