One defining characteristic of New Mexican food is the dominance of native New Mexican chile, which may be red or green, depending on its ripeness when picked. No where else in the world will you find enchiladas made with Blue corn tortillas and smothered with red and green ("Christmas") chili. Sopapillas, a fried bread which is served hot, is another delicacy that is peculiar to the region; they may be served with dinner as part of the main course, or drizzled with honey and eaten as a desert.
New Mexico chile when harvested green, is probably considered by most New Mexicans to be the defining ingredient of Northern New Mexican food. Chile is New Mexico's largest agricultural crop. Local New Mexicans eat green chile on everything from enchiladas, burritos, cheeseburgers, french fries, bagels, and pizzas. In New Mexico, you can even get green chile on your Big-Mac at the McDonald's! Early in twenty-first century, green chile started to become available outside of New Mexico.
New Mexico's unusual history, geography and climate, have combined to effect a big difference between it's cuisine and the Mexican dishes that are served in California, Arizona, and Texas.
New Mexico is home to Native Americans who have been living there for thousands of years; Spanish noblemen and explorers who came in the 1500's; Mexican families who have lived there for generations, and the descendants of Anglo and African American traders who mostly settled there after the Civil War.
When New Mexicans refer to chile, they are talking about the plant or the sauce made from it, not the concoction of spices, meat and/or beans known in Texas as chili con carne. While chile, the plant, is sometimes spelled chili, chilli, or chillie in other places, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico made the State's spelling official when he entered it into the State Congressional Record.
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