No trip to Santa Fe would be complete without hitting some of my favorite restaurants.  One of my top loves is pictured here from my preferred lunch spot — the Blue Corn Cafe.  Their corn soup is so rich you only need a cup!  We revisited Tecolote for an incredible breakfast of blue corn pancakes and blue corn grits.  The one thing I can never get enough of is blue corn.  They have it in Texas but generally only in “New Mexican” restaurants.  And even then it’s mostly just the chips with the salsa.  Blue corn (also known as Hopi maize) is a variety of flint maize (or Indian corn) grown in Mexico and the Southwestern United States, particularly in Arizona and New Mexico.  It was originally developed by the Hopi organically and remains an essential part of their dishes.  The 17th century English explorer, naturalist, and writer John Lawson said:

“The Indian Corn, or Maiz, proves the most useful Grain in the World; and had it not been for the Fruitfulness of this Species, it would have proved very difficult to have settled some of the Plantations in America.”

Blue corn is a staple of New Mexican cuisine.  In addition to its sharply different color, blue corn has several nutritional advantages over the standard yellow or white corn varieties; it contains more protein and has a lower glycemic index.  When used to make tortillas, blue corn produces a sweeter, nuttier taste than yellow or white corn.  Blue corn is simply the best!  And of course no trip to Santa Fe would be complete without visiting The Shed, a 17th century house tucked away at the back of a beautiful little patio and surrounded by a number of small shops.  It is famous for its blue corn enchiladas smothered in red or green chilie.  If you cannot decide which one you can simply say “Christmas” and get both.  If I could only have one thing to eat for the rest of my life it would definitely be my beloved blue corn.