Arizona is known for their blending of several different cultures in the dishes served. No state does it better than Arizona with the Native American, Spanish, and Mexican influences noticeable in their cuisine. Year-round outdoor cooking and beautiful backyard entertaining areas are popular due to the winter temperature rarely going below freezing. Many homeowners have pools, and we say there’s nothing better than enjoying a meal cooked outdoors by the pool!
While trying to narrow down some recipes for Arizona we knew we had to focus on one that is unique for this part of the country, so we chose rattlesnake! Often referred to in the southwest as “desert whitefish,” it is a tender, white meat that can be grilled and served with Piki bread, a type of cornbread.
Check out the Rattlesnake Bites recipe from Spark Recipes. This probably goes without saying, but we do NOT encourage you to hunt down your own rattlesnake.
If you try your own, let us know how it turns out! Use hashtag #BBQAcrossAmerica and tag us on Twitter @BBQ_Outlets. Until then, read on for some more facts about the sunny state of Arizona.
The beautiful state of Arizona has something for everyone. Northern Arizona is full of forests, canyons, and mountain ranges while southern Arizona is known for their cacti and hot desert climate. While famous for the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and the Hoover Dam, it’s the year-round pleasant weather that brings many visitors to the area. The sun worshippers love Phoenix with its 299 sunny days (average) per year. It is home to many spa resorts, golf courses, and spring training camps for several major league baseball teams.
Arizona was the last contiguous state to join the union in 1912. Most of Arizona does not use daylight savings time (DST). The Navajo Nation is the only exception where clocks change with the rest of the United States. It is also home to Mount Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson. Mount Lemmon is the southernmost skiing destination in the continental US but is also popular with cyclists having been ranked as the second most challenging climb in the world by Bicycling Magazine!
