New Mexican cuisine is not like any other food originating in the contiguous United States and can be easily distinguished from other Mexican and American cuisines, due to its addition of spices, herbs, and flavors; especially red and/or green New Mexico chile peppers, anise used to flavor the "Biscochito" the state's official cookie, and the Piñon nut the state's official tree (try a delicious cup of New Mexico Coffee Company's Piñon Coffee).
The Northern region of New Mexico produces a fusion of Native American with Spanish and Mexican dishes. New Mexican cuisine evolved throughout its early tumultuous history adapting influences from nearby Pueblo, Apache and Navajo people, as well as Spanish dishes. An early product of somewhat isolated circumstances, this cuisine maintains its unique identity and is easily identifiable by the presence of foods and dishes such as Native American frybread (sopaipillas), breakfast burritos, enchilada montada (stacked enchilada), green chile stew, carne adovada, green chile burgers, posole, slow cooked frijoles/beans, and calabacitas - a dish of sauteed corn, zucchini and summer squash.