Native foods from the Sonoran Desert, such as tepary beans, cholla buds, and saguaro seeds, are reclaiming their place in Arizona's culinary scene. The Desert Rain Café serves traditional Tohono O'odham dishes made from native ingredients to improve health and reconnect the tribe with its culture. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and Flying V Bar & Grill feature native foods in creative contemporary cuisine to support local farms and provide a unique dining experience.

1. SURPRISE ANCIENT
YOUR
PALATE
DESERT
WITH FLAVORS
COURTESY OF FLYING V BAR & GRILL
JOSH SCHACHTER
Above top: Nopal cactus pads
Above bottom: Cleaning
tepary beans or centuries the native people of Desert Rain Café concept was born out of neces-
Above right: Tableside
the Sonoran Desert dined on the sity. With the restaurant, TOCA strives to improve
guacamole at Flying V
Bar & Grill surprising bounty of edible plants the health of Tohono O’odham people and re-
in the region. Yet, with the ad- connect them to their Native American culture.
vent of drive-thrus and other modern conven- The Tohono O’odham Nation suffers from the
iences, the local culinary traditions were largely highest type-2 diabetes rate in the world, a prob-
forgotten until recently. Now, gourmets and lem that resulted after tribe members stopped
health experts alike are taking another look at eating their native foods and started relying on
desert foods, and there are plenty of reasons high-fat, highly processed American foods. Re-
Native foods are reclaiming for you to join them.
With their outstanding health benefits and
searchers discovered that the traditional Tohono
their place in Arizona’s deliciously hearty flavors, native foods are re-
JOSH SCHACHTER
culinary scene. claiming their place in Arizona’s culinary scene.
For authentic dishes at budget-friendly prices, the
Desert Rain Café in Sells, Arizona, can’t be beat.
The restaurant is located on the Tohono O’odham
Nation about an hour’s drive southwest of Tucson
on Highway 86. The menu includes traditional
cultural dishes, such as the tepary bean and short
rib stew, as well as creative new interpretations
made from native ingredients.
A project of the nonprofit organization
Tohono O’odham Community Action (TOCA), the Tepary beans from TOCA farming
40 TUCSON OFFICIAL DESTINATION GUIDE WWW.VISITTUCSON.ORG

2. JOSH SCHACHTER
JOHN BAE
partnership with TOCA, Loews purchases fresh,
seasonal foods from Tohono O’odham farmers. In
addition to supporting local farms and sustainable
agriculture, the partnership makes dining at Loews
a unique culinary experience.
Loews’ chefs modify and enhance tradi-
tional desert foods to create delicious contem-
Cholla cactus
porary cuisine. The Flying V menu features
Tohono O’odham winter-squash soup, a mole-
O’odham diet contains many ingredients that roasted pork chop with a side dish of chorizo
help protect people from diseases, including and TOCA tepary bean stew, and a grilled beef
diabetes. For example, saguaro syrup, made tenderloin with prickly pear and guajillo chile
from the fruit of the mighty saguaro cactus, is bordelaise sauce.
naturally sweet but is low on the glycemic To help diners understand the important con-
index and contains only 35 calories in a two- nection between dishes and the local culture, the DISCOVER
tablespoon serving. menu format highlights regional ingredients. HERITAGE FOODS
Explore Southern Arizona’s
COURTESY OF FLYING V BAR & GRILL
heritage foods with the
Santa Cruz Valley Heritage
Alliance’s new guidebook,
Local & Heritage Foods
Directory: A Guide to
Producers, Grocers,
Restaurants and Farmers’
Markets throughout the
Santa Cruz Valley and
Southeastern Arizona.
The restaurant section of
JOHN BAE
the directory provides a list
of Southern Arizona dining
establishments that
incorporate locally grown
foods in their menus, while
recipes scattered
White tepary bean Mediterranean chicken at Flying V Bar & Grill throughout the booklet
explain how to use regional
Other nutritional stars that grow in this region Guests will find products at home. Also
are tepary beans, saguaro seeds, prickly pear cactus “From the Garden” included in the directory are
locations and schedules of
pads and fruit, and cholla buds. One ounce of dried selections featuring
regional farmers markets,
cholla buds contains an amazing 14 grams of fiber farm-fresh ingredi- Saguaro blossom health and historical
and three grams of protein—all that for only 100 ents harvested with information about heritage
calories. Likewise, one ounce of saguaro seeds pro- care by local farmers, as well as “Things We Share” foods, and a seasonal
vides 10 grams of fiber and four grams of protein. selections designed to bring people together. availability chart for the
Santa Cruz Valley.
If the thought of eating cactus makes you a lit- As awareness about health and environmental
To view an online
tle apprehensive, don’t worry. These and other sustainability issues have grown, consumers across
version of the directory or
desert plants are delicious enough to serve in Tuc- the nation are discovering the breadth and abun- to order a paper copy, visit
son’s top restaurants. The dichotomy of the desert dance of regional crops. Join the locavore move- www.santacruzheritage.org/
environment (hot days followed by cool nights; ment or just expand your culinary horizons by Directory. Guides can also
long droughts followed by monsoon floods) yields sampling the flavorful bounty of the desert when be purchased in Tucson at
Maynard’s Market, Hotel
crops with intense, satisfying flavors. you are in Tucson.
Congress, and La Pilita
At Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in the Museum, or at the Santa
Tucson foothills, native ingredients appear on the More culinary delights Cruz Chili and Spice Co. in
menu in all of the property’s on-site restaurants, can be found online at Tumacácori, Arizona.
including the Flying V Bar & Grill. Through a www.visitTucson.org.
WWW.VISITTUCSON.ORG TUCSON OFFICIAL DESTINATION GUIDE 41