In 2017, Tucson, Arizona was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, earning official bragging rights as a foodie city and you won’t want to miss out. USA Today reports, “With an agricultural history that goes back more than 4,000 years, it’s the longest known cultivated area in North America, which lends to its incredible southwestern and Mexican cuisine influences.” If you want a taste of local ingredients and local food, look no further than these culinary spots – the flavors are worth traveling to southern Arizona and visiting Tucson for.
Feel the heat from chiltepin pepper at Exo Roast Coffee
What’s 20 times spicier than the jalapeno pepper? The chiltepin pepper! Known as the “mother of all peppers,” this spicy delight has been growing for more than 8,000 years in the southwest. Try it for yourself in Exo Roast Coffee’s chiltepin cold brew. The Mexican cold brew has a satisfying sweet and spicy flavor that mixes chocolate and chiltepin that will wake you up any day.
Taste white Sonora wheat at Barrio Bread
White Sonora wheat has been around since the early 1700s and gained so much popularity that it was Arizona’s first export crop for food production. Its flavor, dough elasticity, protein contain and low gluten content makes it perfect for tortilla making, bread making and beer brewing. Taste freshly baked bread at Barrio Bread, who practices “centuries-old baking techniques” creating beloved artisan loaves that are simply heavenly.
Bite into tepary beans at Welcome Diner
Tepary beans are resilient beans that thrive in the hot, acrid climate of the Sonoran Desert. They are such an important crop to the southwest that the Tohono O’odham Nation even has a legend where the tepary beans form the Milky Way. Food traditions have a strong vein in Tucson, AZ. Take a bite into the monstrous Three Sisters Burrito at Welcome Diner, which includes the delicious tepary beans, tempura-battered squash, roasted corn smoked pecan “cheese” and fresh guacamole.
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