Taking a food tour through the US Southwest is not a trip for the easygoing. The Southwest is filled with cuisine that is as simple to prepare as it is flavorful - as full of hot ingredients as it is filled with the freshest vegetables. If you’re looking for a food tour in the US Southwest, don’t expect to land in a big Mexican restaurant with thousands of fillings for burritos. In fact, don’t take the Southwest and put it all under one blanket, because you are in for a gustatory surprise.
Southwestern cuisine can actually be broken up into hybrids of different cuisines. Border cuisine, sometimes playfully referred to as South of the Border, might be more toward your local Mexican restaurant fare, with some burritos flavored mildly to suit a wider range of palates. You also have Tex-Mex cuisine, a blend of Texan and Mexican, heavy on the meats and spices. There is also the fresh, corn-rich American Indian cuisine, the richer and hotter Mexican dishes, and even nueva Latina, a new version of Southwestern cuisine that is springing up in various places along the Southwestern states.
If you are going on a Southwestern Food tour, then you’ll surely pass by the Lone Star State, and get a whiff of large Texan meats and steaks. You’ll go through Arizona, where you can sink your teeth into rich corn breads and products. You will visit Southern California and Baja, where the burritos are hot and the tamales are hotter. You will find yourself in New Mexico and Colorado, even parts of Oklahoma, and you’ll get yourself some American Indian cuisine that is as old as the hills but plenty flavorful, too!
It is no wonder, then, that the Southwest is often seen as the grandmother of all American cuisine, containing the roots of its indigenous cooking. Think about it: even before Jamestown and Plymouth Rock got their first taste of Europe, a whole lot was already cooking in these parts! A food tour through the Southwestern United States, therefore, is a trip through history, where you can actually taste the meals that have been around for ages, and are testaments to tales long gone but never forgotten.
So what should you expect? Look for blue, purple, or even red corn, all of which can be made into different tasty tortillas, among other things. You will also get a whole lot of heat, so go for fire-roasted chilies, and other chili dishes that will make your mouth water constantly (and your eyes tear up, too!). You’ll get meat grilled with mesquite, searing air with flavorful aromas. Whether you’re drinking it all down with a pint of South of the Border beer, or a glass of European wine, you’ll surely find something to look forward to in the US Southwest.
If you are planning a trip to the US Southwest on a food tour, there are a few things that you will need to remember. First, since many of the dishes are spicy, you may need to check if you have any palate or health sensitivities to spicy foods. For instance, if you have irritable bowel syndrome, then you may want to ease up on the chilies. You will also need to check with your tour group if the tour covers only the lodging and transportation, while you have to pick up the check when you stop for food. Don’t forget to read the fine print and ask questions. Take the necessary precautions, and you can turn your Southwest US Food tour into a great getaway.
Recommended Reading:
Please use our search function, you might get an answer to your question.
Add your comment below. Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.