Among the roughly four dozen nationalities and ethnicities making their traditional food in Oklahoma City restaurants,Central and South American cuisine still struggles for the familiarity common to Mexican food – at least what most diners think of as Mexican food. Ask a roomful of Okies what a taco is, and everyone will know. Ask what a baleada is, though, and the name recognition drops to nearly zero. 

The Honduran breakfast staple is suffering from bad PR apparently, because it’s as much a taco as a taco is, the only differences being size, tortilla style and ingredients. Pupusas, the Salvadoran specialty, enjoy a slightly higher profile, thanks in large part to Guatemalan spots like Cafe Kacao, but they still lag far behind in a familiarity ranking compared to gorditas, their near cousin. And while everyone likely knows what an empanada is, the Colombian variety served at El Fogon de Edgar or pastelitos at Honduran spots are very different than the Mexican versions. 

Just to get you started, we’re offering a brief list of Latin American spots we think of as “must try” to help people see more of the remarkable diversity in OKC’s dining scene. A reminder that the people making and serving the food are just interested in you having a great experience of their food and service, so don’t be afraid of language barriers – you’ll figure it out, promise – and by all means, ask questions about what the dish is, because just as you get energized talking about the food you love from your family and traditions, they’re excited to talk about theirs. 

Colombia. El Fogon de Edgar moved from NW 23 to S. Western a few years ago, and I still haven’t fully recovered from only getting his phenomenal cornmeal-based empanadas and aji verde more often. The new spot has been great for business, though, but it still remains relatively unknown to too many diners, and that needs to change. Fair warning: The aji verde is hot, and it’s supposed to be, so if you’re in that “Ted’s salsa is hot” crowd, baby steps. 

El Salvador. Pupuseria mi Chalateca took the old space on NW 23rd formerly occupied by El Fogon de Edgar, so we still get great food in that spot. The pupusas are stellar, and they have loroco – a native flowering vine to El Salvador and Guatemala – as an option. The earthy, nutty flowers are edible, and add a balanced bitterness to a cheese and loroco pupusa. They also have some of the city’s best curtido, the fermented slaw that should be ladled generously on the pupusas for maximum enjoyment. If they don’t offer you a ridiculous amount of curtido, you’re eating pupusas in the wrong joint, by the way. Their traditional breakfasts are among the best options in the metro. 

Guatemala. Cafe Antigua and Tienda Guatemala. Both serve traditional Guatemalan cuisine, but they do it in very different settings. Antigua is a traditional sit-down, full service spot, and Tienda Guatemala is a kitchen with seating inside a larger mercado. Antigua also serves outstanding coffee drinks, including a mazapan latte that is for everyone except people with peanut allergies. The motuleños are a great starting point, but be cautious with the salsa verde if you’re heat sensitive. At Tienda Guatemala, the pupusas are excellent, but the star of the show is pepian de pollo, chicken in a peppery stew and served with black beans, rice, and Guatemala’s traditional macaroni salad that will remind you of a church potluck. See also: Cafe Kacao, La Criolla, El Rinconcito. 

Honduras. Tacos y Baleadas Abigail. The family started with a truck, but now have a tucked away spot on NW 10th and Meridian. The baleadas are why you’re here, but they also serve pastelitos and tajadas (for the plantain lovers), so you should definitely do breakfast and lunch. The baleadas typically feature refried black beans, avocado, crema, and eggs, but you can mix and match too, and the best on the menu is the carne asada. The salsa roja is a hot mashup of red sauce and chili crisp, and I mean hot. See also: Misasa Latin Grill. 

Peru. Naylamp and Zambrano’s Peruvian Cuisine. OKC has had Peruvian food with some regularity since at least the middle ‘00s, and probably longer. Naylamp, a south-side OG in the genre, features traditional dishes including lomo saltado, Peruvian roasted chicken, and some of the best chicken salad in the metro. Be sure to try huancaina – it’s a traditional Peruvian sauce, and you’ve likely had nothing like it. At Zambrano’s in Edmond, start with the papa a la huancaina for an excellent take on this staple dish. You definitely need to try the tacu tacu – a rice and bean pancake with carne asada and plantains. It’s a meal for the very hungry, or you’ll have leftovers. Either way, you win.

Venezuela. RIP In a Pickle, but we still have Maria’s Food Truck, where she serves a mixture of Colombian and Venezuelan food, most notably arepas. The cornmeal cake is stuffed with different ingredients, but don’t leave without trying the pabellon. She also has pasteles – very similar to pastelitos – and patacone. They’re a little like an open faced sandwich where the “bread” is griddled plantain mash. The slaw is important on patacone, just as curtido is critical to enjoying pupusas, so don’t skip it.