Calabacitas appears as a signature dish in 2 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Calabacitas · Albuquerque
Summer squash sauteed with green chile, sweet corn, onion and a hint of cream. The New Mexican summer side dish, peak June through August at the farmers markets.
Calabacitas is the Spanish word for little squash. The dish has Pueblo Indian roots in the Three Sisters tradition (corn, beans, squash). Spanish colonists added pork or cream variations. Today it appears as the seasonal side at Sadie's, El Pinto and Mary and Tito's, peaking when summer squash hits the Albuquerque farmers markets in June.
Where to eat in Albuquerque:
- Sadie's of New Mexico
- El Pinto
- Mary and Tito's Cafe
- Pueblo Harvest Cafe
Calabacitas · Santa Fe
Summer squash sauteed with corn, green chile and a little cream or cheese; the most quietly perfect Santa Fe side dish. Pueblo at heart, Spanish in execution.
Calabacitas is the Spanish word for little squashes, and the dish is a direct Pueblo and Mexican blend, summer squash and corn (two of the Three Sisters), with the chile that came north from Mexico. Standard on Northern New Mexican home tables for centuries; in restaurants you find it as a side at Atrisco, Estevan and most Pueblo-influenced kitchens.
Where to eat in Santa Fe:
- Atrisco Cafe & Bar
- Cafe Pasqual's
- Maria's New Mexican Kitchen