To understand and appreciate the food in any one region, it often helps to know he area's history. For example, New Mexico was once the home of the Pueblo Indians who lived in villages and grew native crops such as cons, 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.
This intermingling of cultures is evident in the food of New Mexico.