Wazzup Pilipinas!
The New Mexico Tourism Department is putting the Breakfast Burrito on the map. Literally.
The state of New Mexico is putting its chile-laden breakfast burritos on the map with the unveiling of the New Mexico True Breakfast Burrito Byway. This will surely make road tripping to the state more tastier tastier.
No adventure in New Mexico is complete until you have experienced their cuisine. Unlike any other, it is a blend of flavors from Spanish and Native American cultures that has been perfected over the course of 400 years. At the center of it all is the New Mexican chile, in both red and green varieties, which is used in everything from enchiladas to ice cream. Whether you are looking for a dining experience that has received a James Beard award or an authentic dive off the beaten path, you will find it here.
In New Mexico almost no food, no meal is without the influence of the famous chile pepper. So it should be no surprise that New Mexico claims the invention of the Breakfast Burrito. It is the wrapped wonder that brings spice to the morning. It is now a staple on menus across the Southwest, and showing up frequently on menus nationwide. Even fast food chains now offer versions. Now, to celebrate this success and its New Mexico heritage, they have created the New Mexico True Breakfast Burrito Byway.
The flavorful unveiling is a fitting celebration of a humble but satisfying dish thought to have originated in New Mexico in the early ’70s. (Different tellings of the story trace it back to food stands at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and to Tia Sophia’s restaurant in Santa Fe.) Spanning every corner of the state, the Byway guides visitors to the top 50 spots for breakfast burritos, as determined by a popular statewide vote.
The launch of the Breakfast Burrito Byway, an initiative conceived by the New Mexico Tourism Department, wraps up a heated competition for bragging rights among 400 restaurants that were self-nominated or nominated by customers. During the ensuing public voting period (April 21 through May 18), enthusiasts were fierce in their support, collectively casting 46,766 votes to whittle the field to the final 50.
The breakfast burrito was said to have been created in New Mexico back in the early ‘70s. The state took to the people this year and asked who had the best of all and the Top 50 have been selected. This summer you can hit any or all on the New Mexico True Breakfast Burrito Byway.
These top 50 vote-getters became founding members and earned a coveted spot on an interactive map that serves up a delicious dilemma: where to head first? For a list of these locations, led by No. 1 vote-getter Katrinah’s East Mountain Grill in Edgewood, visit www.newmexico.org/burrito.
“When you’re traveling in New Mexico, there’s no better wake-up call than one of our famous breakfast burritos, “Tourism Cabinet Secretary Monique Jacobson said. “Our Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail is so popular that we decided to create the Breakfast Burrito Byway as a deliciously different way to showcase our beloved chiles.”
To qualify for the competition, nominated restaurants were required to be based in New Mexico and have a business license, good standing with local and state health departments, a brick-and mortar-location and breakfast burritos featured on their regular menu containing at least egg, tortilla and, of course, authentic New Mexico chile. After all, said Nick Maryol, owner of Tia Sophia’s, “A breakfast burrito without chile is like a sky without stars.”
For more information on the Breakfast Burrito Byway and other New Mexico True culinary trails, please visit http://www.newmexico.org/trails and http://www.newmexico.org/burrito-nominations/
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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