PBS's 'Eating History' explores the diverse food story of New Mexico

New Mexico is full of centuries of history.

While there have been dark moments in the area’s history, one thing remains true — the history is so diverse.

As Zac Cornfield and his team at DocuFilms began to prepare for the project “Eating History: A Taste of New Mexico” one question remained — “How does one wrap up centuries of stories into less than an hour?”

Cornfield was approached by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation about the project. Originally, it was greenlit for 30 minutes.

“That was too short for the amazing stories to be told,” Cornfield said. “It ended up getting approval for being close to 57 minutes.”

The Albuquerque native is gearing up for the New Mexico PBS broadcast of “Eating History: A Taste of New Mexico” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, on channel 5.1. It will then broadcast again at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, on World, channel 5.4.

“Eating History” is a documentary delving into New Mexico’s intricate relationship with food, showcasing how it has influenced and defined the diverse cultures that contribute to its unique culinary identity.

Cornfield said through storytelling and historical insights, the film sheds light on the flavors, traditions and stories that have shaped New Mexico’s gastronomic heritage.

“Having been born and raised in Albuquerque, ‘Eating History: A Taste of New Mexico’ is a film that will always be special to me,” Cornfield said. “Growing up, I always took for granted how unique our state is – in all respects, food being just one of them. As I’ve explored other parts of the world, I’m always drawn back to New Mexico. Now, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to tell the story of my home, a story that spans over 22,000 years, shaped by its diverse cultures, traditions and foods. My goal with this film is for the viewer to learn something, whether you’re a native New Mexican or have only heard about our state because of ‘Breaking Bad.’ I hope the viewer walks away with something, and not just a craving for New Mexican food.”

Work on the documentary began April 2024 as the team began to do Zoom interviews with chefs, farmers, historians and those involved in food advocacy.

Principal photography began in July, filming 13 days over the course of two months.

“We had to wait for crops to be ready,” Cornfield said. “We filmed in Deming and it was 100-plus degrees out there.”

Cornfield and team conducted more than 20 interviews highlighting New Mexicans such as Zachariah Ben with Bidii Baby Foods; Vernon Herrera of Tesuque Farms; Walter Whitewater and Lois Ellen Franks, chefs at Red Mesa Cuisine; Robert Martinez, New Mexico State Historian; Manny Encinias of the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute; Molly Manzanares, owner of Shepherd’s Lamb; Kathleen Crook, chef at Market Steer; and Matt Romero, a farmer.

“Each of the stories are powerful,” Cornfield said. “Some are stories of traditions being kept alive. Others are stories of thinking about the future of food in the state.”

Prior to making the film, Cornfield hadn’t eaten meat for eight years.

“There was no way I could do this without being able to eat meat,” he said. “We shot with Kathleen (Crook) on our second day. She made a Tomahawk steak for the film. I have to say it was delicious.”

Cornfield said there are some people and places that didn’t make it into the final version of the film.

“We went to Los Poblanos for half a day and talked about heirloom seeds,” he said. “We went down south to Lovington to visit CLC Pecans where we talked about water issues and women in farming. We plan to do smaller pieces on these where the (Museum of New Mexico Foundation) and other organizations can use them for education material.”

Cornfield has been with DocuFilms for a few years. His first documentary for the company was in August 2023.

Prior to becoming a director, he was working in locations for the film industry, where he worked on TV shows “Better Call Saul” and “The Cleaning Lady,” as well as the feature film, “Miss You, Love You.”

“With locations, I got to see so many places around the state,” he said. “That experience helped with ‘Eating History’ because we were able to showcase the variety and scenery of New Mexico. My ultimate goal for the film is to tell the story of our state because it is long, rich, complex, beautiful, tragic and heartwarming. At the center of it all is food. That’s the common theme throughout generations.”

PBS's 'Eating History' explores the diverse food story of New Mexico