Even though pinto beans aren’t native to Appalachia, they’ve become a staple in many of the region’s food traditions. One woman in Moorefield, West Virginia didn’t grow up eating pinto beans in her home country of Honduras, but has incorporated them into her cooking since moving to The Mountain State.Emerita Sorto has been serving up traditional Honduran and Salvadoran food at her restaurant, Pupuseria Emerita, for about six years. The menu includes bean-filled dishes like baleadas and pupusas. Inside Appalachia folkways reporter, Nicole Musgrave, spoke with Sorto and her teenage granddaughter, Vanessa Romero, about the kinds of beans they serve.
