Discovering America’s Hidden Culinary Gem: A Journey Through Timeless Flavors

This desert-anchored city is home to the oldest continuously cultivated soil in the US and presents a remarkable culinary landscape that is uniquely its own.

As I walked with local chef Ryan Clark, the shady portico of San Xavier del Bac Mission, a whitewashed refuge against the cactus-dotted mountains of the Sonoran Desert, provided a momentary escape from Arizona’s relentless summer heat. Founded in 1700 when this region was part of New Spain, the stucco mission, often referred to as the “White Dove of the Desert,” excited Clark more about our arrival at the nearby San Xavier Co-op Farm located on the Tohono-O’odham reservation.

“The land you are standing on marks the beginning of agriculture in the United States,” Clark shared with me. “Around 4,200 years ago, the forebears of the Tohono O’odham shifted from hunting and gathering in the desert to cultivating corn. These plots feature the oldest continually farmed soil in our country.”

This year signifies the tenth anniversary of Tucson’s designation as the first city in the US to receive the title of Unesco City of Gastronomy, placing it alongside Parma, Italy; Chengdu, China; and Lyon, France as a hub of global culinary significance. The Unesco accolade acknowledged the city’s rich agricultural heritage, transforming Tucson into a culinary tourist spot and motivating chefs, bakers, brewers, and distillers to experiment with traditional local ingredients. Presently, in addition to classic dishes such as birria tacos and Sonoran hot dogs, visitors can discover American Single Malt whiskey smoked with mesquite, handmade chocolate crafted from chiltepin chili, and Michelin-star level tasting menus that highlight the deserts’ provisions.

Tucsonan gastronomy embodies the multitude of diverse cultures that have inhabited the Sonoran Desert through the years – a vibrant mélange of influences from Indigenous tribes, Spanish colonizers, Anglo American cowboys, and Chinese railway laborers. “Tucsonan cuisine was a blend long before blending became widespread,” states Carolyn Niethammer, author of the book A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage.

Since 1983, Native Seeds/SEARCH, a seed bank based in Tucson, has safeguarded hundreds of nearly extinct seeds originating from the American Southwest, frequently collaborating with Indigenous groups. In recent years, yearly culinary events such as the Agave Heritage Festival (10-13 April) and Sonoran Restaurant Week (6-14 September) showcase chefs and distillers who utilize traditional desert ingredients.

As per Niethammer, the roots of Tucsonan culinary practices began four thousand years ago, when Sonoran Indigenous communities gathered resources from the arid landscape, including cacti, small animals, wild seeds, and various grasses.

“Sonoran hunter-gatherers were exceptional botanists, adept at recognizing hundreds of edible plants from this seemingly harsh environment,” Niethammer commented. Porridge made from mashed mesquite pods sweetened with prickly pear fruits served as a fundamental food source, while cholla cactus buds provided sustenance to Indigenous populations during periods of scarcity. Particularly critical during March, a time the Tohono-O’odham referred to as “the month without food,” cholla buds were vital due to diminishing food supplies and falling temperatures. To season game such as jackrabbits, javelina, and mule deer, the Tohono-O’odham utilized chiltepin peppers, incredibly hot chili varieties, alongside mesquite wood, which imparted a sweet, smoky flavor to the meat.

Numerous ancient ingredients continue to play a vital role in modern Tucsonan kitchens. At The Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery, local chef Kayla Draper, who is also a member of the Navajo Nation, incorporates ground mesquite pods into tiramisu, enhancing the traditional Italian dessert with a nutty, molasses-like taste. Draper complements her mesquite tiramisu with homemade prickly pear sorbet. Additionally, a splash from Whiskey Del Bac, a local distillery that smokes malt with mesquite wood, brings a finishing touch to the desert delicacy. Paying tribute to her Navajo heritage, Draper crafts blue corn macarons and corn masa ice cream enveloped in a chocolate-chiltepin shell.

Meanwhile, cholla buds are a preferred salad garnish for chef Clark. “We refer to cholla buds as ‘desert asparagus’. They exhibit a chewy texture similar to lightly cooked beets,” Clark remarked. “The fresh, herbal flavors complement a light vinaigrette beautifully.”

As Niethammer elaborated, the dietary habits of the early inhabitants of the Sonoran desert evolved with the introduction of agriculture around 2200 BCE, likely influenced by interactions with Mesoamerican societies. “Corn was the initial crop the ancestors of the Tohono-O’odham cultivated,” Niethammer noted. “Ancient corn, which was domesticated from a wild grass from Oaxaca called teosinte, was approximately three inches long, and the Tohono O’odham continued to depend on foraging and hunting even after they adopted farming.”

Squash became incorporated into the Sonoran diet around 800 CE, followed closely by beans. “Beans necessitate a heat-resistant container to be prepared, so they likely entered Sonoran cuisine only after Indigenous populations developed pottery-making techniques,” Niethammer explained to me. Squash, beans, and corn collectively became known as The Three Sisters: a nourishing trio that remains cherished in Tucson, featured in eateries from casual roadside diners to upscale dining establishments like Maynards Kitchen, located adjacent to the historic Hotel Congress.

Tucsonan culinary traditions saw further evolution in the late 16th Century, with the arrival of Father Eusebio Kino and a small contingent of Spanish missionaries who established a presence in the Santa Cruz Valley. Pork, beef, and Mediterranean crops including figs, quince, olives, and – most significantly – wheat were integrated with The Three Sisters and local herbs in Sonoran food stores.

“The main objective for the Spanish was to convert Indigenous peoples to Catholicism, which required wheat for communion wafers,” Niethammer remarked. “Father Kino cultivateda drought-resistant cereal known as [white Sonora wheat]. Currently, you can still see [it], a relative of winter wheat, throughout Tucson.” With a low gluten level, white Sonora wheat is unsuitable for bread making but contributes a pleasing nutty taste to biscuits and tortillas. At Barrio Bread, a Tucson bakery that focuses on traditional grains, chief baker Don Guerra incorporates this wheat into his dough to prepare ciabatta rolls, bolillos (soft, torpedo-shaped bread rolls), and baguettes. In 2022, Guerra received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker.

A significant culinary shift occurred following the US acquisition of what is now Tucson in 1854. Shortly after the Gadsden Purchase, when the US obtained Arizona from Mexico, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson. Anglo American ranchers flooded in, bringing with them canned seafood and meats, along with cowboy-style barbecue. Chinese laborers also introduced various new ingredients and cuisines.

“Many of the railroad workers had farming backgrounds in China and were instrumental in growing new crops such as strawberries, lettuce, and soybeans in the [adjacent] Santa Cruz Valley,” Niethammer mentioned. Adapting to the available ingredients and the tastes of their clientele, Chinese merchants began selling Chinese chorizo, a pork sausage flavored with soy sauce, rice wine, and chili. Presently, the annual Chinese Chorizo Festival (held in March), commemorates this Sino-Sonoran sausage in sushi, fried rice, and even cocktails.

“Tucson may not boast as many flashy dining establishments as Phoenix or Scottsdale,” Draper remarked to me. “However, our cuisine is more unique and heartfelt, and we, the residents of Tucson, take pride in our culinary history – especially following the Unesco accolade.” For tourists enthusiastic about exploring Tucsonan food culture, she suggests tours with Taste of Tucson, which provides gourmet tours through the city’s historic downtown as well as little-known neighborhoods.

Draper also highlights Zio Peppe, which has drawn pizza enthusiasts from all over the US with its pies crafted from mesquite flour and adorned with pickled cholla buds since its inception in 2021. In other parts, BATA, recognized as one of Bon Appetít’s best new restaurants of 2022, has gained national attention for its live-fire cooking techniques and inventive Sonoran dishes like squash ice cream. Additionally, Tucson’s distillers and brewers are also focusing on traditional ingredients. Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. crafts a prickly pear sour beer, and on the more potent end of the ABV spectrum, Whiskey del Bac creates a Scotch-style whiskey using barley smoked with mesquite wood instead of traditional peat.

On my final evening in Tucson, chef Clark and I enjoyed a round of prickly pear margaritas at Ventana Canyon before heading to Fourth Avenue, referred to as the “heartbeat of Tucson”, adorned with beautiful Mission Revival architecture and lively bars. After nightfall, food trucks selling Sonoran hot dogs, a quintessential late-night delicacy, gather here. As the sausages cooked on a small grill and the vendor piled beans, cheese, and salsa onto a steamed bolillo bun, Clark shared his thoughts.

“You can see all the culinary layers of Tucson represented in a Sonoran hotdog: beans and chilies from the Indigenous Sonorans; bolillo buns from the Spanish; and bacon, cheese, and processed meat from Anglo Americans.” And regarding Chinese elements? Clark suggested I visit again next March for the Chinese Chorizo Festival. Adding pickled jalapeños onto his hot dog, Clark commented, “A cheesy dog topped with beans and salsa: both quintessentially American and quintessentially Tucsonan.”

Tucson, Arizona was named one of BBC Travel’s 25 best places to visit in 2025, a list highlighting destinations that are not only welcoming visitors, but using tourism as a force for good. See the full list, here.