It’s no surprise that Arizona’s capital is a hot spot for Native American cuisine. The city is home to 22 recognized Native American tribes — more than any other state. Talented chefs are returning to local, old-fashioned ingredients (think tepary beans, Saguaro cactus seeds, sumac and chollo buds) and adding creative twists to the traditional dishes of indigenous peoples, spurring a hot, new culinary trend.

We set out to explore the area’s unique Native American restaurants, and learned that they are as diverse and rich as the varied Southwest cultures they represent. Here are three of our favorites.

The patio of KAI restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort. Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort/Handout

The unassuming, no-frills Fry Bread House (4140 North 7th Ave., 602-351-2345) is a hole-in-the-wall joint run by a local family from the Tohono O’odham Nation. It’s one of only five restaurants nationwide to win the 2012 James Beard American Classics award, and the only Native American restaurant ever to receive it. Lines typically extend out the door, with customers waiting to place orders at the stand-up counter, and snag a seat in the tiny restaurant. Frybread, we learned, can be a bit controversial. Made from white flour, baking powder, salt, and Crisco, it was created out of necessity when Native Americans were sent to reservations and had to use commodities (some say unhealthy ones) supplied by the government. We set politics aside and shared the fiery green chili beef, taco-style, wrapped in white paper. The bread was plate-size, fluffy and warm, greasy (in a good way), and stuffed with tender, well-seasoned meat. Open-faced frybreads topped with heaps of pork and chorizo and chocolate and butter frybread were also popular dishes coming out of the small kitchen. Most run between $5-$7.