Tucson Heritage Dishes Workshop

Schedule

Sat Aug 15 2026 at 11:00 am to 02:00 pm

UTC-07:00
Location

Tucson Museum Of Art: Stonewall Community Room | Tucson, AZ

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A community workshop celebrating the flavors of Tucson! Share your voice as we identify iconic dishes for the Slow Food Ark of Taste.
About this Event

Help Shape the Future of Tucson's Culinary Heritage

What foods truly define Tucson and the Arizona-Sonora borderlands?

Join us for a community workshop to help identify and celebrate the dishes that tell the story of our region. Through the Tucson Heritage Dishes Project, we are working with renowned ethnobotanist and food historian Gary Nabhan to document the traditional dishes that have shaped our community for generations.

Supported by the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, this project will compile a list of iconic regional dishes and nominate a new cohort of Tucson and borderlands foods for inclusion in the Slow Food Ark of Taste: an international catalog that recognizes culturally significant, distinctive foods at risk of disappearing.

During this interactive workshop, participants will:

  • Review and provide feedback on the project's draft list of heritage dishes.
  • Share and community knowledge about Tucson's food traditions.
  • Suggest additional dishes that deserve recognition.
  • Learn about the Slow Food Ark of Taste and why preserving culinary heritage matters.

The draft list includes beloved regional specialties such as the chimichanga, cheese crisp, Sonoran-style capirotada, carne machaca con verduras, enchiladas Sonorenses, prickly pear margaritas, pan de cemita, mesquite-smoked whiskey, Yaqui guacavaqui, and many more.

Your voice is an important part of this process!! Whether you're a lifelong Tucsonan, a home cook, chef, food historian, farmer, restaurant owner, or simply someone who loves Southern Arizona's food traditions, we invite you to help ensure these dishes, and the stories behind them, are preserved for future generations.

This workshop is free and open to the public.


Agenda

🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Chef Demo: Chiltepín Flan

Info: Demonstration lead by Chef Ambassador Mateo Cancio proceeded by tasting.


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Where is it happening?

Tucson Museum Of Art: Stonewall Community Room, 140 North Main Avenue, Tucson, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00

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Tucson City of Gastronomy
Host or PublisherTucson City of Gastronomy

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