Fry Bread and Indian Tacos
No dish is more iconic of native cuisine than the Indian taco, sometimes also called a Navajo taco. An Indian taco is made much like Mexican tacos, with layers of meat or beans; vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion, and peppers; cheese; salsa; and sour cream. But what makes it an Indian taco is when these ingredients are piled high on a fluffy, steaming piece of fry bread.
Fry bread is a more recent addition to native cooking because it was first created during the Reservation Era, when most tribes were dependent on government rations of flour, salt and lard. According to Navajo tradition, it was created in 1864 when the Navajo tribe was forcibly removed from Arizona and relocated to New Mexico on the Long Walk, similar to the Trail of Tears.
Because of the wide popularity of the dish, it can be found all over the United States; even small powwows seem to always have someone selling Indian tacos. There is even a National Indian Taco Championship that is held annually in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Most restaurants that identify as serving Native American fare will also feature their own version of Indian tacos on their menus.
Tamales
The Aztecs made great contributions to modern cuisine with foods like tortillas, hot chocolate and tamales. Today, what we know as Southwestern or New Mexican cuisine is the modern version of many of the foods that were a part of the Aztec culture.
Like modern tamales, the Aztec version was made using a corn-based dough called masa, often stuffed with meat filling and wrapped in cornhusks before they were steamed. Aztec tamales could include a stuffing made with game meats like venison and rabbit, as well as turkey, eggs and vegetables, or even a sweeter version made with honey or fruits.
Today, tamales are mostly found in the southwest United States and Mexico, where they are considered comfort food. Most types are made with pork or chicken cooked in a mole sauce or mixed with salsa. They have also become common in the delta region of Mississippi, which features a Hot Tamale Trail along Highway 61. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, visitors should head to La Plazuela, the restaurant at the historic La Fonda on the Plaza hotel, where diners can enjoy dishes like red chile pork tamales and green chile-corn chowder. Chichen Itza, a warehouse turned restaurant in southern Los Angeles, also has a great selection of tamales and authentic Southwestern cuisine.
