New Mexican cuisine
It is known for its fusion of Pueblo Native American cuisine with Hispano Spanish and Mexican culinary traditions, rooted in the historical region of Nuevo México.
[1][2][3] This Southwestern culinary style extends it influence beyond the current boundaries of New Mexico, and is found throughout the old territories of Nuevo México and the New Mexico Territory, today the state of Arizona,[4] parts of Texas (particularly El Paso County and the Panhandle),[5][6] and the southern portions of Colorado,[7] Utah,[8] and Nevada.
Early European settlers also contributed with their bed and breakfasts and cafés, adding to the culinary landscape.
[12]: 109 [13][14] It stands out for its emphasis on local spices, herbs, flavors, and vegetables, particularly the iconic red and green New Mexico chile peppers,[15][16][17] anise (used in biscochitos),[18] and piñon (used as a snack or in desserts).
[19] Signature dishes and foods from New Mexico include Native American frybread-style sopapillas, breakfast burritos, enchilada montada (stacked enchiladas), green chile stew, carne seca (a thinly sliced variant of jerky), green chile burgers, posole (a hominy dish), slow-cooked frijoles (typically pinto or bolita beans), calabacitas (a sautéed zucchini and summer squash dish), and carne adobada (pork marinated in red chile).
They introduced wheat, rice, beef, mutton/lamb, among other foods and flavors, to the native corn, chile, beans, squash, and other indigenous ingredients.
[12]: 110–116 During this early development period the horno, an outdoor beehive-shaped earth oven, became ubiquitous in Pueblo and Hispano communities.
Americans traded and settled after the Civil War, today groups from Asian and communities have come to New Mexico.
[35] At harvest time (August through the middle of October) green chile is typically roasted, peeled and frozen for the year ahead.
Red chile peppers are traditionally sun-dried in bundles called ristras, which are a common decorative sight on porches and in homes and businesses throughout the Southwest.
[41] Common traditional dishes include enchiladas, tacos, posole, tamales, and sopaipillas and honey served with the meal.
Corn is not a frequent component of New Mexico salsa or pico de gallo, and is usually a separate side dish in and of itself.
The early Spanish Colonies along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico used safflower as a substitute for saffron in traditional recipes.
[41][52]The green-chile variant usually is mostly green chile and without tomatoes, though some varieties may use some cooked tomatillos; the style does not use avocado (which is very common in California green salsa).The New Mexico and California styles share a typically large amount of cilantro added to the mix.
Compare taquito, tostada.Although there are many variations, the standard New Mexico tamal filling is shredded pork cooked in red chile sauce.
