Scones are most closely associated with tea — in parts of Europe, many take their tea with scones and clotted cream. But ordering a scone in Utah is different. While there are biscuit-like scones found here, a Utah scone is a different type of food itself.
A Utah scone is actually more commonly fry bread, not a biscuit.
What is fry bread?
Fry bread itself has a complicated history. According to Smithsonian Magazine, fry bread was invented when the United States displaced Indigenous people in Arizona and forced them to walk 300 miles to relocate to New Mexico.
Fry bread often holds deeper meaning for members of the Navajo tribe. “Fry bread appears to be nothing more than fried dough — like an unsweetened funnel cake, but thicker and softer, full of air bubbles and reservoirs of grease — but it is revered by some as a symbol of Native pride and unity,” per Smithsonian Magazine.
It can be eaten in a variety of different ways.
How is fry bread eaten?
Some eat fry bread by itself.
Other times, honey is drizzled on top of it, while others put melted butter and cinnamon on top of it. It can be eaten in savory ways as well.
One of the famous place ways to eat it is a Navajo taco.
What is a Navajo taco?
A Navajo taco is a popular food in the West.
Think of a taco with fry bread instead of a taco shell. Common toppings on the fry bread include seasoned ground beef, lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream and other common taco toppings.
According to the Navajo Times, “The first Navajo taco was created by Lou Shepard, who worked for the tribe in the 1960s as manager of the Navajo Lodge, a tribally owned motel and restaurant located across the street from what is now the Navajo Education Center.”
There are several restaurants in Utah that serve Navajo tacos.
Best places for Navajo tacos in Utah
If you’re looking to try a Navajo taco, consider going to one of these restaurants: