A Delicious Fiesta Afternoon

Posted by Nick Martinez in Santa Fe, Zozobra

I should say now, despite my last name, I am terminally Caucasian. I say this not out of pride, but as a cop-out for not quite understanding all the different idiosyncrasies of Fiesta last weekend. The mock meeting of the Native Americans and the Spanish clergy on the main stage, the collection of women in beautiful dresses being marched around the plaza, all flew mostly over my head. However, the one thing that unites the world and culture is our love of food.

The first place I stopped for a sample was the Santafehoney.com honey stand. The friendly clerk asked me which honey I would like to try. I told him to surprise me. He smiled and dipped the sample stick into the white honey jar, a honey which he assured me was both rare and delicious.

As soon as the honey reached my tongue I was in heaven. The sweetness of the honey and the almost faint vanilla taste convinced me that this was as much dessert honey as it was fit for a sandwich. Had a pint of the white honey not cost $20–and I wasn’t college student poor–I would definitely have bought one.

Next, I decided that I needed to wash down the honey, so I stopped at George’s Fresh Fruit Drink stand. They also offered free samples and the strawberry pineapple was calling my name. The clerk made clear that only fresh fruit and no sugar or other additives would be present. Knowing all this only made me happier with the perfect fruity taste.

Another nugget of honesty: I’m incredibly picky. I’ve been this way my entire life and only since I’ve been in Santa Fe have I opened up my palate a bit. For example, the color green now has a small place in my diet.

I added this preface because my next stand was the Oasis drink stand, and I don’t know why, but the cucumber mint lemonade looked delicious. I’d never had cucumber before, but on an abnormally hot day, it looked so refreshing. I asked the clerk for a sample but they had run out of the free sample cups.

It was sink or swim, and the only choice left was to just order a large cucumber mint lemonade. Now, I could go on to describe the taste, but it would be far simpler to just say I will be spending the rest of my life trying to find a drink that good again.

It was the middle of the day and the sun grew more intrusive, so it was time to move to the main course. Luckily, my friend and photographer Chris Stahelin was present to order the Indian taco from Calabazas’s Native Food. With his inspired food choice I felt comfortable going to my favorite for any kind of festival: The jumbo smoked turkey leg from a stand called Jumbo Smoked Turkey Leg.

Chris and I sat down in a shaded grassy area, and commenced our feast. We allowed each other to take a bite or two from each other’s plates. The Indian taco contained lettuce, tomato, beans, onions, ground beef, and red chili, several of those I wouldn’t have even looked at a few years ago. But in 2013 I have to say that it was one scrumptious taco. Had I had more money I would have bought one of my own.

The jumbo smoked turkey leg didn’t disappoint either. I put on my best Viking impression, devouring that jumbo smoked turkey leg as the little boy sitting behind me looked on in awe. Don’t worry kid, in a few years, your jumbo smoked turkey leg will come too.

In the end I regret not going to the information booth to learn more about the origins of Fiesta. I regret not talking to an elder, or the Fiesta Queen to ask the importance of Fiesta to them. I left Fiesta without any great understanding of its practice. But, damn that was some good food.