To understand and appreciate the food in any one region, it often helps to know the area’s history. For example, New Mexico was once the home of the Pueblo Indians, who lived in villager and grew native crops such as corn, beans, pumpkins, and squash. Later, Spanish settlers arrived in this area. These two groups exchanged ideas and customs and passed these customs on to their descendants. The intermingling of cultures is evident in the food of New Mexico.