A puffy disc of fried dough topped with beans, ground beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and chile. The Navajo taco, served at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and at every state fair.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Frybread emerged in 1864 during the Navajo Long Walk, when the US government rationed flour, lard and salt to the displaced Navajo people. The bread became a survival staple. Today it is served as the Navajo taco at Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and at the New Mexico State Fair frybread booths. The dish carries a complicated history of forced relocation and cultural endurance.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. A small slit cut in the center of each disc before frying helps it puff evenly. Eat within 5 minutes of frying for the right chew.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on 12th Street in Albuquerque is the only modern Pueblo Indian restaurant, missed by museum skippers.
Why locals love it: Inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center museum, missed by most visitors but the only modern Pueblo Indian restaurant in the city.
Tip: Visit at lunch when the Pueblo dancing performances run on the courtyard, then order the buffalo posole and Indian taco.
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