When we think of a sophisticated ethnic cuisine, most of us think French, Italian or even Japanese. Mexican cuisine is derived from the Aztecs and influenced by the European colonizers. It, too, is a complex and a mature style of cooking. The flavors honed and fine-tuned for centuries from indigenous American ingredients didn’t only please palates, they also provided a healthy diet.

This recipe is not authentically Aztec, but the ingredients primarily stay true to what was available to the Aztecs prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The focus is on the mashed beans and squash using salt, chiles and epazote to flavor. Sunflower oil, included here, was also used by this indigenous culture.

This dish is topped with crema (a variation of sour cream) and cheese, ingredients and production methods introduced by the Europeans. Oaxaca cheese has a string or mozzarella-like texture, a cheese making method introduced to the people of the Oaxaca region (southern Mexico) by Spanish Catholic monks.

The black beans suggested here, Cherokee Trail of Tears, are heirloom beans carried across the Smoky Mountains by the Cherokee people as they were driven from their land. All black beans originate from the Americas, and the commercially produced Black Turtle Bean, generally labeled black beans in the grocery store, can be substituted.

Although we may not have access to Aztec varieties of squash, we know that their culture’s main staples were similar to those of their North American indigenous counterparts (The Three Sisters: corn, beans and squash). I recommend using delicata squash, an heirloom variety that’s easy to come by in this region. It has a high sugar content and typically weighs between one and a half and three pounds, which is ideal for this recipe. Chile powder may be substituted for anchos, but understand that some chili powders are the Tex-Mex spice mix that includes cumin, garlic and oregano.