The Southwest New Mexico’s region’s food heritage began with the Ancestral Puebloans, who grew the “Three Sisters” crops—corn, beans, and squash—long before European contact. The Spanish arrived in the late 1500s, bringing livestock, fruit trees, garlic, and the now-iconic chile pepper. Under Mexican rule in the early 1800s, tortillas, tamales, and enchiladas became widespread. After U.S. annexation, Anglo traditions introduced flour and new baking techniques, but the core Southwest New Mexican flavors remained intact.
The point of that story is this: It is so important to know who we are and who other people are. If we know what makes us tick and what makes other people tick, we get along better.
