Our Daily Bread

The sandwich board beside the pickup was a bit cryptic. KNEEL DOWN BREAD was all it said. I had spotted the sign out of the corner of my eye as I made a turn on a remote section of the Navajo Nation at the foot of Black Mesa. Slamming on the brakes, I pulled a U-turn and went back to find out more.

My travel companion, a baker by trade, leaned out of the car window and asked the Navajo woman sitting in the pickup truck, "What's kneel down bread?"

"It's corn that we roast and then take off the cob," the woman explained. "Then we grind it, put it back in the husk and roast it." She reached into a cooler and pulled out what looked like a long tamale.

"We'll take two," said my friend enthusiastically, handing the Navajo woman $4. And, for the rest of the morning, as we drove across the desert, we nibbled on the sweetest rustic corn bread imaginable.

Keep your eyes open as you travel the Navajo and Hopi reservations and you, too, may stumble upon some unexpected traditional treats.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.