...or fresh[edit source]
It's often unfermented, too. When I had it in Guatemala (in Xela) it always seemed unfermented, just veg (mainly cabbage) salted and vinegar (and maybe chili - I forget). In El Salvador (home of the pupusa - stuffed tortilla) I notice the oregano they use, which is good; and sometimes when I've had it, it's been fermented, but not in a good way. My host here in Suchitoto (El Gringo Roberto, who runs a restaurant with great pupusas) tells me that it's not meant to be fermented, but it's just often left too long; also that people add the fresh ingredients to the old cortido. So... while the pupusas you buy are usually good, the cortido varies wildly!
Note that I know nothing about cortido outside Guatemala and El Salvador. --Chriswaterguy 23:59, 15 March 2009 (UTC)