Culinary Delights to Savor in Southwest United States Food Trips
Experiencing a food tour through the US Southwest is not a vacation for the easygoing. The Southwest is abundant with culinary style that is as simple to prepare as it is flavorful – as full of hot ingredients as it is filled with the healthiest of vegetables. If you’re looking for a culinary tour in the US Southwest, don’t expect to stop in a big Mexican restaurant with a dizzying array of fillings for burritos. In fact, don’t limit the Southwest and categorize it all under one blanket, because you are in for a gustatory awakening.
Southwestern cuisine can actually be categorized up into hybrids of various cuisines. Border cuisine, sometimes fancifully referred to as South of the Border, might be more similar to 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 flavors, the richer and hotter Mexican offerings, and even nueva Latina, a modern version of Southwestern cuisine that is springing up in various places along the Southwestern states.
If you are going on a Southwestern Food trip, then you’ll surely pass through the Lone Star State, and get a whiff of large Texan meats and steaks. You’ll go cross Kansas, where you can sink your teeth into rich corn breads and products. Nothing beats a Kansas attractions. You will visit Southern California and the Baja, where the burritos are spicy and the tamales are even hotter. You will discover yourself in New Mexico and Colorado, even parts of Oklahoma, and you’ll find 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 traditionally seen as the godfather of all American cuisine, containing the roots of its indigenous cooking. Ponder it: even before Jamestown and Plymouth Rock got their first taste of Europe, a whole lot was already cooking in these parts! A culinary 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 discover? Look for blue, purple, or even red corn, all of which can be made into different tasty breads, among other things. You will also find a whole lot of spicy, so try for fire-roasted chilies, and various chili dishes that will make your mouth water constantly (and your eyes tear up, too!). You’ll find meat smoked with mesquite, searing the air with flavorful aromas. Whether you’re washing 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 taking a trip to the US Southwest on a food tour, there are a few things that you will need to remember. First, because many of the dishes are spicy, you may need to check if you have any palate or health concerns with spicy foods. For instance, if you have irritable bowel syndrome, then you may want to ease up on the peppers. You will also need to check with your tour planner if the tour covers only the lodging and transportation, while you have to pick up the check when you stop for meals. Don’t forget to read the fine print and discuss questions. Take the necessary precautions, and you can turn your Southwest US Food tour into a great getaway.
Leave a Reply