Cuisine of the Southwest

Southwestern cuisine is food styled after the rustic cooking of West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. It comprises a fusion of recipes for things that might have been eaten by cowboys, Native Americans, and Mexicans throughout the post-Columbian era.

Southwestern cuisine is heavily influenced by Mexican cuisine but involves more large cuts of meat. This style of cuisine is knows for it's use of spices, particularly Chili pepper and Tabasco sauce. Chili con carne and fajitas are particularly well known Southwestern foods. Southwestern cuisine is also associated with the concept of the barbeque, Barbecue sauce and barbequed ribs. Recently, several chains of casual dining restaurants specializing in Southwestern cuisine have become popular in the United States.