New Mexican cuisine is a regional style of the American Southwest, centered on the state of New Mexico, that blends Puebloan, Spanish, and Mexican culinary traditions. Corn, beans, and squash cultivated by Puebloan communities form its base, layered with chili peppers, tomatoes, and meat dishes introduced by Spanish colonizers from the 16th century onward.
Its defining ingredient is the chile pepper, especially the Hatch chile grown in the Hatch Valley, used fresh, roasted, or dried in sauces, stews, and as a seasoning. Blue corn (for tortillas and tamales), posole (a hominy stew), and herbs like cumin, oregano, and cilantro also define the cuisine.
Signature dishes include enchiladas, tacos, chile rellenos, and carne adovada, most finished with a red or green chile sauce; ordering both together is called 'Christmas.' New Mexican cuisine is often lumped in with Tex-Mex, but its native Hatch-style chile sauces (rather than cumin-heavy Tex-Mex chili powder blends) set it apart, and style varies within the state, from refined Santa Fe interpretations to rustic rural cooking.