A History Of New Mexican Cuisine

Blend Cultural Influences To Create New Mexican Cuisine

New Mexican cuisine is a specific style of cooking that combines flavors and ingredients common to the native culture, along with some Spanish and European influence.  When you think of New Mexican cuisine, you may not realize that some of the main ingredients were not originally used by the Mexican people.  Let’s take a look at some of the influences that created this unique cuisine.

Native Ingredients

A part of the New Mexican population is Native American, so it’s no surprise that their influence is seen in many of the main dishes.   Centuries ago, settlers in the New Mexico region relied heavily on the use of beans and corn to make many of their main dishes because meats had not been introduced yet in any large amount.  Black beans and pinto beans were commonly used in many dishes.
Like other styles of southwest cuisine,  the use of spices is important to bring out the flavor and give a bold, unique taste to each meal.  Chiles are very important to New Mexican cuisine, and can be used in fresh salads and salsas, or cooked in a variety of dishes.  Chiles are locally grown and are preserved when necessary so they are always available for flavoring.  These red and green chiles are commonly known to dominate New Mexican cuisine.  Unlike many styles of cooking, New Mexican cuisine doesn’t make much use of butter.  Since there was no refrigeration, butter would not have been a natural ingredient to form out of this hot region.  Rather, vegetable oil and lard was, and is, used in many of the dishes.

Culinary Influence

Many fundamentals that go into New Mexican cuisine came about just within the last 500 years.  With some Spanish influence, meats and cheeses began to be used as a staple in many New Mexican dishes.  Tortillas began to emerge and quickly became a popular part of this style of cooking.  Garlic and onions started to be used more frequently as a way to spice up and add flavor to main dishes.  These influences didn’t completely change this style of cooking, but expanded the knowledge allowing the New Mexican people to create different culinary delights.

Top Dishes in New Mexico

Some of the most popular dishes in New Mexican cuisine are ones that mostly everyone would be familiar with.  Burritos, chili con queso, tacos, taquitos, and tortillas are just a few well known dishes in New Mexico.  Many of these dishes are made with slight modifications to the Spanish or Mexican originals.  Given the popularity of the red and green chiles in New Mexico, you will find them on just about everything.  Even a cheeseburger is not a New Mexico cheeseburger without the green chiles.

There is a wide variety of cultural influence that goes into New Mexican cuisine.  Both Native American and Spanish styles are blended to make a creative, culinary adventure every time you take a bite.  No matter what your taste buds are craving, New Mexican cuisine has something to offer.