Eat New Mexico True
When you do a quick Google search of New Mexican food, you’ll get everything from enchiladas to tamales to chiles rellenos. While all of these dishes have our mouths watering, they’re not necessarily exclusive to the history of New Mexico. The truest New Mexican dish you can find comes in the form of a sopapilla.
Sopapillas are fried pastries made from a soft and sweet dough that act as a type of quick bread. The word “sopapilla” comes from the Spanish word “sopaipa” which is a derivative of the Mozarabic word, “xopaipa,” which means “bread soaked in oil.” The Spanish, Arabic and Jewish influences of the dish and its name convened in Albuquerque over 200 years ago.
As a type of quick bread, sopapillas are incredibly versatile and are used as a sweet pastry, side dish or the main entrée all the same. The natural air pocket that occurs in the middle of the tortilla-like dough creates room to stuff the bread with meat, cheese or beans for a hearty star of the meal. But at the same time, the light bite of the thin bread meshes well with honey, syrup or powdered sugar to enjoy after those enchiladas, tamales and chiles rellenos.
When you’re in town, make sure you have your eyes peeled for sopapillas on whatever menu you decide to eat from. In our opinion, these following places have the best sopapillas in Taos, and they’re all right down Paseo del Pueblo Norte:
Michael’s Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery (3 min walk)
Ricky’s Restaurant (3 min drive)
Taoseño Restaurant (6 min drive)
