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| Fresh Tortillas being made at El Paragua |
I just came back from a week long business trip
in Santa Fe,
New Mexico, and what an experience! I’ve
been to New Mexico before, but I really never paid close attention to the
cuisine in this region. You’re probably
thinking, “What’s the big deal, it’s only
Mexican food…you can get this anywhere?”
Well, not quite. Through talking with locals and doing some research on
my own, I found out that the native food there is known as New Mexican. It’s not just called Mexican or Tex-Mex. The first time I visited New Mexico for work,
I made the mistake in calling it regular Mexican food, and I almost got my head
bitten off (figuratively speaking of course).
My client warned me about this, but I didn’t believe them. So me being
me, I tested this theory out last week and after work I asked three separate random
locals where I can get some good Mexican food around here? In three separate responses, they looked at
me, and said (with no exaggeration), “I know
where you can get some authentic New Mexican food .", "Mexican Food?
What parts of the country you from? We don’t call it that..," and
lastly (which is my favorite), “if you
want some ordinary Mexican food, I can call my extended cousin up from Mexico
and have her make you some (I laughed, this person kept a straight face)…this
is New Mexican food…tell you what, go to this place in Espanola called El
Paragua and you can get you some authentic New Mexican food." Luckily, I was working nearby this place, so
I decided to check it out for lunch. But, before I tell you about my experience
at El Paragua, I want to explain the main differences between Mexican VS
Tex-Mex VS New Mexican cuisine.
Mexican – As delicious and simple as it may seem, Mexican
food can be complex in nature when preparing it. This type of food was influence by the
Spanish culture, where Spanish natives introduced various meats, cheeses, herbs
and spices. However, Mexican food has
its own unique ingredients and dishes which make it stand out from all other
cuisines. As you may know, some staple
ingredients consist of rice, beans, corn, and the chili pepper. Mexican food can be mild, spicy or hot, but
many times the chili pepper (along with other ingredients) is used for
flavoring and in preparation of sauces like the red/green sauces, and the mole
sauce. I have yet to explore real
Mexican food outside of the United States, but have come close to eating the
real thing at local restaurants recommended by friends.
Tex-Mex – As the word might suggest, Tex-Mex is a blend of
Mexican and Texas foods. This is an
American term that started in Texas and distinctively different than ordinary
Mexican by its use of melted cheeses (mainly a blend of white and yellow),
wheat, flour, corn, and the use of beef or pork only. Strangely enough, Tex-Mex food was influenced
by Native American and Spanish cuisine. Since most of Texas was populated by
Native Americans back in the day prior to westward expansion, Texans till this
day use corn, pinto beans, black beans (or refried beans), squashes, other
vegetables, and even heavier with the spices, such as using cumin in a lot of meals.
As Tex-Mex became more “Americanized,” you will see the use of sour cream, pico
de gallo, different type of relishes, braised and grilled meats added to your
plate. So, next time you’re hungry and
want some Qdoba or Chipotle, thank all of the indigenous people who invented
the flour tortilla, and influence American culture so that we can have the
chicken burrito or the burrito bowl at our local fast food joint.
New Mexican – Among the Southwestern cuisine, New Mexican
food tops them all, in my opinion.
Chile, beans, corn and blue corn are the basic ingredients. However,
each ingredient is used a bit differently and used across different meal
platforms. In New Mexican cooking,
chiles are at the forefront. There are
many varieties of chiles that come in red and green. These chiles are locally grown and usually picked
at different stages of ripeness.
Usually, the closer it gets to the color red the spicier it gets and
your green versions are much more tamed (but that’s not always the case). At
every meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner), red or green chile is offered. Another distinction between each cuisine is
that blue corn is heavily used as a vehicle for other ingredients, and the
majority of the restaurants who serve chips and salsa, also serve sopapillas.
This New Mexican treat is a thinly fried bread that puffs up like soufflé. It is typically served with honey or can be stuffed with beans, meats and cheeses as
an entrée.
Fun Fact: While chile,
the pod, is sometimes spelled chili, chilli, or chillie elsewhere, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico
made this state's spelling official by entering it into the Congressional
Record.[1]
El Paragua, the New Mexican restaurant that I was referring to
before, is one of the most authentic places in Espanola according to the people
I’ve talked to who live in this area. It
is located in a building that is over 100 years old and as I walked inside I could
tell this place was filled with character.
From the stone walls, to the wooden beams, to the 100+ year old tree
growing inside of the restaurant (to the right), I knew that I came to the right place. As I
was sitting down for lunch here, I was talking to the nice waitress about the
history and she explained that before restaurant was established, the sons of
the owners decided to sell their mom’s famous tacos at a stand near the road.
Since the owners’ sons were starting their own business in the scorching New
Mexican heat, their father provided them an umbrella for some shade; hence, why
the restaurant is called El Paragua, or “The Umbrella.” The waitress explained that if you were in a
rush for lunch and needed a quick bite to eat, you can proceed next door to the
Taco Stand (not the original) and order you up some to-go food. Needless to say, I ate there several times
(three times to be exact) that week for lunch and was able to try different menu
items. My favorite was the Beef Taco Plate!
Braised shredded beef on a freshly fried corn taco with lettuce and
shredded cheese, served with seasoned refried beans, and Mexican/Spanish fusion
rice with chucks of cooked onion, diced tomatoes and herbs. YUM!
Your Community
Food Chef
Follow me on Twitter: @yourcfchef
Follow me on Twitter: @yourcfchef
References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
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