19 Super Strange New Mexico Foods That People Love Anyway
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Brandie Erisman
Author
Some of the things that New Mexican’s love to eat can shock outsiders — and sometimes even ourselves. From pig parts to abuses of green chile, here are some of New Mexico’s best strange foods.
No, it's not a boy band from the 1970s. We're talking tripe soup. It's said to rejuvenate your insides and clear your head, making it a popular hangover cure.
Prickly pear cactus pads are awesome just sauteed with some garlic and onions. Just be sure to pull the spines!
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We only know of one place that makes this (New Mexico Piñon Coffee Company, in Albuquerque), but this brand is everywhere. They make biscochito and Mexican spiced chocolate coffee too.
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Anything fried is a winner, especially pork belly or rinds. These nuggets of crunchy, melty goodness are wonderful alone or stuffed in a red burrito.
This is a Bloody Mary gone crazy. All the ingredients are there -- beer, Clamato juice, hot sauce, and lime. We just wonder who thought of mixing these things together.
Maybe you don't eat these every day, but admit it -- you're tempted to buy one every time you walk into an Allsup's. These fried, convenience-store burritos have been filling bellies on the go since the 1970s.
Duck and pomegranate, tempura salmon tacos, Korean bulgogi, fried oysters... You name it. If you call it a taco, New Mexicans will probably eat it.
Your mom cooked this for you and you are still eating it. It's a cheap, quick snack and perfect wrapped up in a tortilla with some chile and cheese.
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Grab your snorkel and dive into this tub of melted butter with a sweet, cinnamon roll island of goodness.
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Savory, hearty and delicious! This rich stew is the perfect mix of hominy, chiles and (traditionally) pork. Add a squeeze of lime and chopped onion. If you want to get fancy, top it with chunks of avocado too.
Japanese cooking is about balancing color, taste, and sensation. In the right hands, the pop of heat and fresh texture of chile really can work in sushi.
This one is about balance too. The freshness and flavor of the chile is a surprising break from the sweet creaminess of the vanilla ice cream.
The difference between a good churro and a bad churro is how long it has been since it was cooked. Fresh from the frier, these are pastry tubes of melt-in-your-mouth love.
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There is nothing unusual about a hamburger, per se. What we want to know is why these ubiquitous burgers are so addicting.
Wait, isn't chicken fried steak supposed to come with white gravy? It's an option, but when you can smother your fried steak with chile, why not?
Red or green? Do you like your jerky slightly sweet with a hint of spicy red, or straight-up and flecked with green? Both seem to be winners in New Mexico.
Available from breakfast to dinner, these deep-fried steak fingers have been a New Mexico drive-thru delicacy since 1949.
Forget the finger-food style cocktails with a ring of shrimp rimming a glass. The cocktails here can be any manner of seafood swimming in a spicy tomato bath with goodies like onions, lime and cilantro.
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There is nothing new about mixing chile and chocolate. The Ancient Aztecs and Mayans mixed crushed cocoa beans with chile and other spices, making a drink for the gods. Turns out we modern people think the combo of chocolate and chile is pretty good too.
Which of these foods have you tried? What others strange New Mexico foods should go on our list?
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