Arizona's Food Controversy

Most states have some kind of state food. Ohio has barbecued pork. Massachusetts has - what else - Boston cream pie. Maine has blue crabs while Indiana has Indiana sweet cream pie. Now Arizona is getting into the mix by electing a food dear to its' natives hearts. The chimichanga. With it ,though, comes a controversy.

This was the subject of an article by Marc Lacey in yesterday's main section of the New York Times (not the Dining as you would suspect or think). It seems the tasty dish is the center of a huge fight over who created it. Carlotta Flores is claiming her great aunt Monica Flin first made it when the woman accidentally nudged a burrito into hot oil and let it fry. Others such as Sharon Johnson claims her dad, Woody, created the tasty dish back in 1946 . There there is the theory that the dish was originally another spin on a North Mexican dish chivechangas. The dish isn't found on authentic Mexican restaurants. It's sort of a hybrid food, kind of like th e Chinese American General Tso's chicken and Italian American garlic knots.

Chimichangas a re a part of Arizona culture however, like its' state tie , the bolo or its' state flower, the saguaro lily, along with its' official firearm, the Colt Revolver. Chimichangas are big in Mexican restaurants here in he States. It's a staple at Taco Bell However recently the dish, more or less a big fried burrito, has gone upscale. One restaurant El Charro in Phoenix is using lobster as a filling and it also offers fruit ones for dessert. Most just feature either beef , pork or chicken and few places do have a seafood one as well.

The controversy should be settled soon. Arizonans are eager to make this delicious dish their state one. It reflects their inventiveness along with its' rich Mexican culture as well.