TUCSON, USA Délice Network Meeting • May 1-3, 2019 35 ¡ BIENVENIDO participants from A TUCSON ! 15 4000 years of desert dining cities gathered to There’s a distinctive reason that in 2015, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre designated Tucson, Arizona as the United States’ first Crea- tive City of Gastronomy. It is also one reason Tucson is a Délice LEARN, SHARE member city, having joined in October 2018. A metropolis of almost a million people, Tucson is situated in the & CONNECT Santa Cruz Valley in the biodiverse Sonoran Desert, which spreads across Southern Arizona, parts of Northern Mexico, and some of the Barcelona • Spain Baja Peninsula. While the Sonoran is the world’s wettest desert, it is Brussels • Belgium still very hot and arid. It’s home to the iconic giant saguaro cactus Buenos Aires • Argentina and other prickly plants and venomous creatures, many of which Cali • Colombia live nowhere else in the world. Gaziantep • Turkey Gothenburg • Sweden More than 4,000 years ago, Tucson and its ter- The world's Helsinki • Finland rain were home to several tribes of indigenous wettest desert: Native American peoples who flourished in this seemingly stark landscape. They knew the a unique Kobe • Japan secrets of the harsh Sonoran ecology - from ecosystem Lisbon • Portugal seed preservation to food preparation to wa- Lyon • France ter harvesting. They made foods of cactus buds and mesquite tree Madrid • Spain seeds. And they passed their secrets down to their descendants, Mérida • Mexico many of whom remain in the area today. Puebla • Mexico Riga • Latvia Thousands of years later, starting in the late-1600s, Spanish missio- • USA Tucson naries arrived, along with other European successors. They brought new foods, from pomegranate to chiles, corn, and chocolate but also wheat and grapes. Domestic animals arrived too, sources of wool and meat and dairy. Later, more immigrants from around the world brought their foodways to the region, and their recipes have expanded the Tucson-area culinary repertoire. Some varieties of these foods and animals flourished in the desert and became integral complements to the region’s original diet, buil- ding upon the foodway foundation that the indigenous people laid. Today, rapidly changing weather patterns and dire water shortages stress the area’s cultural and ecological landscape. Communities are encouraged to plant native species and consume local food and the city has been recognized for its efforts in water conservation. The Délice Network delegations discover the food projects of the Tucson area #trending Yet, Tucsonans maintain a strong will to maintain heritage foods foodie city and preparation techniques, recipes, and ceremonies. The UNESCO The UNESCO Creative Cities status is attracting gastronomic tourism, which adds Over the past 10 years, efforts to revitalize Down- another incentive to ensure the preservation of local foodways. town Tucson from a rather desolate neighbo- World Heritage rhood to a hip, foodie destination have prevailed. status is attracting And Tucsonans of all backgrounds are passionately collaborating -- among themselves and their Sonoran Desert neighbors in Mexico -- Local chefs might leave Tucson to attend culi- gastronomic to ensure the sustainability of gastronomy and the revenue it brings. nary school, but they often return to help bring ancient foodways to contemporary diets. tourism The power of Tucson today is contemporary residents’ devotion to preserving and adapting overlapping ancestral foodways, and col- Two examples are Ryan Clark, who grows and laboration across borders to do the same. uses heirloom food varieties at his Native Ame- rican reservation-based casino restaurant called Mission Garden: looking back at 4000 years of agriculture PY Steakhouse. Don Guerra, an artisan baker, has transformed the use of protein-rich Sonoran White Wheat and other hyperlocal grains into high-end bread, and who has become an icon of the heritage culinary scene. Unique food items and preparation techniques define the regional cuisine. Some of these foods include carne seca (sun-dried seasoned beef), Sonoran hotdogs (a fusion between an American hotdog with Mexican toppings and bun), chimi- changas (deep-fried burritos), and foods and be- Tucson Cuisine: a lovely mix of Mexican & American food verages crafted from assorted species of cactus. Joining the Network J. Felipe Garcia, Executive Vice President of Visit Tucson and Tucson’s re- presentative to the Délice Network, explains how the last seven months of membership has benefited Tucson. How has membership situated Tucson internationally? It help us vindicate that Tucson is a great destination for gastronomy. The fact that key stakeholders from Madrid, Brussels, Lyon, Barcelona, Gaziantep, Cali, and many others came to Tucson and engaged in a positive conversation, validates Tucson’s position in this area. It feels great to be invited ‘to the table’ with some amazing cities of gastronomy form around the world. How has Délice participation educated Tucson? The fact that we now have access to outstanding information and best practices will be a plus for Tucson. We already have a list of projects that other cities have implemented that we want to learn from. This knowledge exchange will help us in impacting the economy and community of Tucson. We were very encouraged by the dialogue and interaction between the members of the network. Even though this was our first official meeting, we were treated as an equal partner to those with more seniority. Tucson’s Food Movements Situated on the oldest continually occupied and All the jurisdictions cultivated site San Xavier Cooperative: new economic opportunities “Tucson is a humble city, hesitant to San in the United for the Native tribes of Southern-Arizona governing the region proclaim the fact that other cities States, this work together to ensure don’t have mesquite pancakes, Agustín non-profit timeline garden was created in 2008 to recreate the area’s food history. food sustainability, It traces the history of the region’s cultural crops, from the Native and Early Agri- prickly pear juice, Mission equity, and economic or Sonoran hotdogs.” cultural era, through Spanish and Mexican residents, the Chinese, and the African development American populations. It also features Tomorrow’s Garden, which demonstrates new Garden Jonathan Rothschild • Mayor approaches to food production in the face of ecological and social challenges. of the City of Tucson Experts like Jesús Garcia demonstrate food-related technologies to garden visitors, such as the process of agave roasting. Funded by the nonprofit organization Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace, the Garden also hosts school groups, locals, and tourists. “We care about The Native Tohono O’odham (or T.O.) Nation has approximately 33,000 members on what Tucson both sides of the border. T.O. and sister tribes started the farm in 1971 after struggling “Unexpected San against the federal government for water rights on their land. Since then, progress food sources, like can do uniquely to bring better Xavier has been made, and the farm has grown into a site of cultural education and nou- those found in the rishment. The co-op employs 28 people, 90 percent of whom are Tohono O’odham. Sonoran Desert, help economic The cooperative follows the native way of life, respecting the land, sacredness of development to Cooperative water, tribal elders, animals, and plants. Seasonal crops include indigenous foods form an identity for not just native that are more nutritious than introduced cultivars. The group runs educational pro- peoples, but for an entire region of our communities.” grams and permits tribal members plots of land upon which they can grow and the world.” harvest their own food. They also provide food to families in need. J. Felipe Garcia • Executive Vice President of Visit Tucson & Tucson’s Robert Valencia • Chair of the Pascua representative to the Délice Network Center for Founded in 2016, the Center compiles and analyzes data regarding food Yaqui Tribal Council initiatives in the Sonoran Desert, including its Mexican territories. Resear- Regional Food chers study and educate on topics including farm health, people’s access to nutrition, food justice, the relationships between food and the regio- Studies at the nal economy, sustainable ecosystems, and community. The Center offers “Pima County protects “The best way a bachelor’s degree in Food Studies, partners with local food advocacy to experience University organizations, and hosts relevant public events. The center actively seeks flora and fauna to recruit students from around the world and network with other universi- from urban someone’s culture of Arizona ties for international collaboration. encroachment is to eat while maintaining their food.” Southern Arizona hosts more than 80 annual food festivals. Three favorites are balance with • Agave Heritage Festival in late April Juan Ciscomani Food • Tucson Meet Yourself (fondly referred to as “Tucson Eat Yourself” due to economic growth.” • International the plethora of delicious food items available!) showcasing cuisines from the Relations Festivals diverse ethnicities of Southern Arizona. It takes place every October Chuck Huckleberry Representative for the • The Savor Food and Wine Festival, featuring locally owned restaurants and • Pima County Administrator Governor of the State of Arizona culinary endeavors takes place every February. THE AGAVE GUEST STARS: HERITAGE MIXOLOGISTS International mixologists from member FESTIVAL cities who use agave-derived distilla- tions in their creations were invited to participate in the Festival, meet each other and perform their art. They were Carlos Gaitán • paired with local bars that specialize Cali, Colombia The Tucson Délice Network lesser-known alcoholic be- “I am committed to in agave spirits. Paired with meeting took place in verages, as well as food pro- conjunction with the city’s 11th ducts. The peoples of Northern develop the economic Guest mixologists were asked to perform in a se- Elvira’s Bar annual Agave Heritage Fes- Mexico and Southern Arizo- and social impacts of the parate bars during an organized MEZCrawl, and “Most people find tival.