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 spicy 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 stop in a big Mexican restaurant with thousands of fillings for chimichangas. In fact, don’t limit the Southwest and put it all under one blanket, because you are in for a gustatory surprise.

Southwestern cuisine can actually be broken up into hybrids of different cuisines. Border cuisine, sometimes playfully referred to as South of the Border, may be more similar to your local Mexican restaurant fare, with some burritos flavored mildly to suit a wider range of palates. We 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 Indian cuisine, the richer and hotter Mexican offerings, and even nueva Latina, a new version of Southwestern pairings that is springing up in upscale places across the Southwestern states.

If you are traveling on a Southwestern Food trip, then you’ll surely pass by the Lone Star State, and get a whiff of huge Texan meats and steaks. You’ll go cross Kansas, where you may sink your teeth into rich corn breads and products. Nothing beats a Kansas vacation. You will traverse Southern California and the Baja, where the burritos are spicy and the tamales are even hotter. You will find 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, too!

It is no wonder, then, that the Southwest is traditionally described as the grandmother of all American cuisine, containing the roots of its indigenous cooking. Think about it: even before Jamestown and Plymouth Rock 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 a trip through history, where you can actually taste the meals that have been around from times past, and are testaments to tales long gone but never forgotten.

So what should you discover? Look for blue, purple, or even red maize, all of which can be prepared into different tasty tacos, among other things. You will also discover a whole lot of spicy, so try for fire-roasted chilies, and other chili dishes that will make your mouth water constantly (and your eyes tear up, too!). You’ll get meat grilled with mesquite, searing the air with flavorful smells. Whether you’re washing it all down with a bottle of South of the Border Tecate, or a glass of European wine, you’ll surely find something to look forward to in the US Southwest.

If you are taking 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 spicy, you may need to check if you have any palate or health concerns with spicy foods. For instance, if you have irritable bowel syndrome, then you may need to ease up on the peppers. 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 trip into a great getaway.