Image via Wikipedia

Enjoying a food tour through the US Southwest is not a trip for the faint of heart. The Southwest is filled with cuisine that is as simple to prepare as it is flavorful – as full of hot ingredients as it is filled with the freshest vegetables. If you’re looking for a food tour in the US Southwest, don’t expect to land in a large Mexican restaurant with a dizzying array of fillings for burritos. In fact, don’t take the Southwest and categorize it all under one blanket, because you are in for a gustatory awakening.

Southwestern cuisine can actually be broken up into hybrids of different 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 generic for zyban Indian cuisine, the richer and hotter Mexican dishes, and even nueva Latina, a new version of Southwestern pairings that is springing up in upscale places along the Southwestern states.

If you are traveling on a Southwestern Food tour, then you’ll surely pass by the Lone Star State, and get a hankering for large Texan meats and steaks. You’ll go cross Kansas, where you may sink your teeth into rich corn breads and products. Nothing beats a tourist attractions in Kansas. You will visit Southern California and the Baja, where the burritos are hot and the tamales are even hotter. You will discover yourself in New Mexico and Colorado, even parts of Oklahoma, and you’ll get yourself lots of American Indian cuisine that is as historic as the heritage but plenty flavorful, as well!

It is no wonder, then, that the Southwest is often described as the godfather of all American cuisine, encompassing the roots of its indigenous cooking. Think about it: even before Boston and Salem 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 an excursion through history, where you can actually savor the meals that have been around for ages, and are testaments to stories 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 various tasty breads, among other things. You will also find a whole lot of hot, so go for fire-roasted chilies, and other chili dishes that will make your mouth water immensely (and your eyes tear up, too!). You’ll get meat smoked with mesquite, searing the air with flavorful smells. Whether you’re drinking it all down with a bottle of South of the Border Tecate, or a bottle of European wine, you’ll surely discover something to look forward to in the US Southwest.

If you are planning a trip to the US Southwest on a food tour, there are many things that you will need to remember. First, because many of the dishes are hot, you may need to check if you have any palate or health concerns with spicy foods. For example, if you have irritable bowel syndrome, then you may need to ease up on the chilies. You will also need to check with your tour planner if the tour covers all 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 manager your Southwest US Culinary tour into a fantastic getaway.