The state of Arizona has seen a surge in Native-owned restaurants. For many years, restaurants that served Native American cuisine were hard to find. But recently, chefs have found success in serving popular Native dishes.
Some Native-owned restaurants in Arizona have won awards for their food. Fry Bread House opened in Phoenix in 1992. The restaurant won a James Beard America’s Classics Award in 2012. This award honors longtime restaurants that serve high-quality food that “reflects the character of its community.”
The restaurant was named after a popular Native food called frybread. Frybread is a fried treat made from flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening. The ingredients are mixed into a dough. Then the dough is fried until golden brown. Some historians believe the Navajo people began eating frybread about 160 years ago. The US government forced many Navajo to move from their homes. The government made them relocate to New Mexico. Out of the food rations given to them, the Navajo made frybread. However, other people question this origin story. They say frybread became popular in the early 1900s. Around then, many Indigenous communities began using more non-Native ingredients.
Fry Bread House isn’t the only place making frybread. Phoenix has a popular food truck called Emerson Fry Bread. There’s also Hope’s Frybread in Mesa. These businesses show the many ways people can use frybread in dishes. Chefs have made sandwiches, tacos, desserts, and more out of frybread!
Other Arizona restaurants focus on celebrating Native foods that have a much deeper history. These restaurants use ingredients that Native peoples have eaten for thousands of years. Café Gozhóó in Whiteriver uses squash, corn, red chili, and acorn. A Native bakery in Phoenix called Scone On makes sweets with blue corn, pumpkin, and raspberries. Many Native chefs believe that traditional foodways [eating habits and cooking methods] are healthier than other food options.
Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a hearty meal, Native chefs across Arizona have the perfect dish for you!
What Do You Think? Why do you think Native-owned restaurants have become more popular?
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