Pacific Northwest Cuisine

The states of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska make up the regional cuisine of the Pacific Northwest, sometimes referred to as the Pacific Rim.  The moist weather conditions in Oregon and Washington along with the unique conditions in Alaska help to create one of the most fertile growing regions in the nation, famous for producing some of America’s favorite foods including berries, stone fruits, wild mushrooms, apples, and pears.  In addition, the abundance and variety of fish and seafood from the Pacific Ocean and the waters of Alaska make Pacific Northwest cuisine a unique American experience.  From the very beginning, Pacific Northwest cuisine has been developed due to the influence of cultural diversity.
When the Pacific Northwest region was first explored by Russian fur traders they found the area populated by Native Americans, and similar to the other regions of America there was an abundance of natural products.  The first to settle the region were British and French fur traders employed by the Hudson Bay Company.  The Native Americans taught the first settlers how to sustain themselves in what was known at the time as the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.  The settlers were introduced to oysters, clams, crab, shrimp, and salmon from the Puget Sound.  They were taught about the local berries and how to forage for mushrooms.  The Native Americans also introduced the settlers to the Potlatch, a Chinook tribe word meaning gift.  The term Potlatch also describes a ceremonial feast connected with native rituals and important events.  Historically, the Potlatch included dishes such as salmon, clams, wild berries, and greens along with other foods that happened to be growing and in season at the time, each brought by a family as their contribution to the feast.  The Potlatch is still an American tradition; however, its name evolved over the years and is now commonly referred to as a potluck.  The Native American tradition of the Potlatch and how to smoke foods, is still very much a part of Pacific Northwest culinary customs today.
Although the pioneers first came to the Pacific Northwest for the fur industry they soon discovered the bounty of the region, giving birth to other industries such as mining, timber, fishing, and farming.  In the early 1800’s, Thomas Jefferson sent the party of Lewis and Clark to explore the Northwest; about the same time, Captain George Vancouver sailed into the Puget Sound through the Straits of Juan Fuca seeking safe harbor in what is now called Port Townsend.  Shortly thereafter, the Gold Rush of Alaska began. The name of Alaska was Americanized from the Aleutian term Alyeska, meaning great land, and is now America’s largest state.  The opening of the Oregon Trail led many additional settlers from the Central Plains to the Pacific Northwest, many of whom were first generation Americans still deeply attached to their roots in Europe.  With the gold rush of Alaska and the influx of people to the Pacific Northwest came the development of the cities of Portland and Seattle, possessing one of the best deep-water ports built in America.
A beer making tradition in the Pacific Northwest, called micro-brewing began in the mid-1800’s with the opening of the Liberty Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon, and the Steilacoom Brewery in Tacoma, Washington.  German immigrants fueled the beer-making explosion throughout the remainder of the 1800’s when hundreds of additional breweries opened.  The term micro-brewery originated in the Pacific Northwest and was used to describe a brewery that produced less than 10,000 barrels of beer per year.  As technology improved and production levels increased the definition was amended to 15,000 barrels.  Today the strict definition has been dropped as production levels continue to increase without a loss of quality or flavor.  Today there are over 100 microbreweries operating in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.  A brewpub should not be confused with a microbrewery.  The term brewpub is used to describe a pub that makes its own beer on premise.  Typically, a brewpub serves a light, casual American cuisine to accompany their beer products.   Craft brewer is a term used to describe a beer maker who follows the European artisan tradition and who can produce beer in any quantity without loss of quality, integrity, or flavor.
In the mid-1800’s a significant numbers of Asians immigrated to the Pacific Northwest, primarily from Japan and China, with hopes of riches during the America gold rush; however, discrimination and hostility negated their dreams and forced the Asians into careers of servitude—such as laundry, railroad laborers, and as cooks.
Many Chinese immigrants settled in the Portland area where the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1882.  As cooks, the Asian immigrants had a significant influence on the region’s cuisine.  They exposed the European settlers to new ways of cooking and eating.  These Asian cooks used the ingredients indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, but prepared the foods in a manner that was similar to the cooking styles from their native homeland.  This style of cooking, which uses many Asian techniques to cook local foods, is still quite popular today and has become known as Pacific Rim cooking.
Japanese immigrants began to arrive in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s escaping the severe economic problems brought on natural by disasters that destroyed farmlands in Japan.  By 1940, Japanese immigrants accounted for the largest ethnic population in Seattle, second only to the Japanese population of Los Angeles.  The first berry and vegetable farms established in the Puget Sound area are attributed to the Japanese immigrants.  The Japanese introduced teriyaki (marinated and glazed meats), sukiyaki (thinly sliced meats and vegetables simmered in broth), and yosenabe (seafood and noodles simmered in broth) to the local residents.  In addition, they taught the locals how to forage in the forests for wild mushrooms and in the waters for seaweed and other coastal foods.  One of the most notable contributions the Japanese immigrants had Pacific Northwest cuisine was the introduction of oysters to the waters of Oregon and Washington State.  The Pacific and Kumamoto oyster species, today’s most common varieties, were first planted and harvested by the Japanese immigrants.
The Asians who introduced fresh coriander, bok choy, bitter melon, mustard greens, and ginger to the region populated the first open-air markets of the Pacific Northwest.  Although many of these markets no longer operate, the influence they had on the region’s cuisine continues today. Seattle’s Chinatown is known as the International District due to the influences of Thai, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese cuisine.
Pike’s Place Market, which began in the early 1900’s, still holds true to the value of offering high quality, fresh ingredients, indigenous to the local area.   Started as an experiment in 1907 due to the high food prices in Seattle, the Pike Place Market eliminated the intermediaries and allowed consumers an opportunity to purchase foods directly from the growers.  The concept proved very successful as the farmers typically sold all of their products by noon and the consumers reaped the benefits of significantly lower prices.  Seattle soon established a farmer’s market tradition that proved to be a gathering place for all food grown in the region as well as foods that represented the diverse mix of people and ethnic groups who had settled in the area.
In 1930, Pike Place Market reached its peak of operation with over 600 permits issued to sell local products.  In 1942, during World War II, Japanese-Americans were placed in interment camps and overnight Pike Place Market lost more than half its farmers, many of whom never returned.  By 1949, only 53 farmers applied for permits to sell their goods.  The decline continued well into the 1950’s as the suburban migration moved families further away from the market in the center of the city and with them their shopping habits.  In the late 1960’s, Seattle’s community leaders voted to demolish the Pike Place Market in favor of new developments.  Due to the efforts of community activists, the Pike Place Market’s value as an institution was realized and a vote in 1971 saved the market from demolition by putting it under public ownership.
About the time Pike Place Market reached its peak in the early 1930’s, farmers from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, who were participating in a relocation program during the Great Depression, were settling the Matanuska Valley near Anchorage, Alaska.  The soil in the valley proved extremely fertile, and combined with the unique growing conditions in the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” vegetables grew to enormous proportions.  During the summer months in Alaska the days can have as many as 20 hours of sunshine.  Even though the growing season in Alaska is quite short—July through September—the size, quality, and quantity of the vegetables grown and harvested more than makes up for the short season.   It is not uncommon for a head of Alaskan cabbage to grow to more than 20 pounds and for common vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash to grow to 3-4 times their typical size compared to those grown in the continental United States.
Many culinary ingredients indigenous to the Pacific Northwest come from the Pacific Ocean such as a variety of species of salmon, flatfish such as halibut and flounder, and rockfish.  The Puget Sound is home to many different types of shellfish and crustaceans while the Colombia River provides trout, sturgeon, and other fresh water fish.  Throughout the Pacific Northwest, the waterways have always been home to huge populations of wild fowl and game.  The fields of the region have ample land and support a large livestock industry, wheat farming, fruit orchards, as well as other greens and vegetables.  The mountains and forests yield many varieties of wild mushrooms, berries, and other ingredients that are commonly foraged.  Cheese-making in the Pacific Northwest has become a popular product due to the excellent conditions for raising goats, sheep, and cows.  The artisan cheese producers of the Pacific Northwest who follow the traditions of the European cheese makers are called Farmstead cheese-makers.  They raise their own milk-producing animals and use the milk from their goats, sheep, or cows, to make their cheeses.
The Pacific Northwest is broad and varied with many of its culinary traditions attributed to the Northern Europeans and the Asians of the Far East, all combined with the traditions of the Native Americans.   Since the beginning of history in the Pacific Northwest the cultural diversity of the region has inspired an interesting culinary mix for the people of the Pacific Northwest to enjoy.

Ingredients Indigenous to the Pacific Northwest

Alaskan Halibut: A flatfish and the largest member of the flounder family.  Alaskan Halibut are known to grow as large as 500 pounds and have a firm, white flesh with a mild tasting flavor making it excellent for grilling, baking, or sautéing.  Halibut fishing in the Pacific Northwest begins in the spring and continues until mid-November. Halibut cheeks, resembling a large sea scallop, are a delicacy and can weigh up to one pound.  The most common preparation of halibut cheeks is to dredge them in flour, pan-fry them, and serve them with a simple sauce.
Apples: This fruit originally came to the Pacific Northwest by way of a British fur-trading company named the Hudson Bay Company.  The first apple seeds were planted in 1826 at Fort Vancouver in Washington State.  In the 1880’s, the first commercial apple orchards began production in the Yakima Valley of Washington.  Today, Washington is the largest apple-growing region in America producing between 10-12 billion apples per year, which is the state’s number one agricultural commodity.  While more than half the orchards are dedicated to producing Red Delicious apples, a number of other varieties also are grown. Some of the most common apples grown in the Pacific Northwest region are described below.

• Fuji Apples – A variety of apple typically yellow-green with red highlights.  Fuji apples are crisp and sweet with a mild flavor and are best eaten raw; however, they can also be used for cooking.
• Gala Apples – Originally from New Zealand, this apple is red with a yellow hue.  It is sweet with a full flavor and is best eaten raw.
• Golden Delicious – A green apple usually gold to green in color with a yellow hue.  Golden delicious is a good all-purpose apple and can be eaten raw or used in cooking.  It is good baked whole or used as a filling in apple pie.
• Granny Smith – A bright green apple that sometimes has a pinkish hue.  Granny Smith apples are a classic, tart apple frequently cooked and used for applesauce or in other savory dishes.
• Jonathon – A red apple that sometimes has yellow stripes.  Jonathon apples are slightly tart with a crisp texture.  They are typically used both raw as well as cooked.
• Red Delicious – The most popular variety of apple in America.  Red delicious apples have a very crisp texture and a sweet, juicy flavor.  They are best eaten raw as a snack or as an ingredient in a fruit salad.
• Rome Beauty – A bright red apple usually very round in shape.  The Rome Beauty apple has a slightly tart flavor and is most often baked whole.
• Winesap Apples – A deep red apple with a slightly tart flavor and pleasing aroma.  Winesaps are excellent raw as well as for use in baking.

Asparagus: The Yakima and Columbia River Valleys of Washington produce over 80 million pounds of asparagus annually.  The asparagus season runs from April to early June.  The most popular asparagus in America are called pencil asparagus for their long thin shape; however, most chefs agree that the fatter, thicker asparagus are generally more tender and flavorful than the pencil varieties.
Blackberries: There are many varieties of blackberries common to the Pacific Northwest.  The largest commercial crop of blackberries is also known as the marionberry, which is a crossbreed of the wild and cultivated varieties of the evergreen blackberry. Other varieties of wild blackberries include the Evergreen Blackberry, the Himalayan, and California or ‘trailing’ blackberries, all of which are commonly found and make excellent pies, cobblers, and jams.  Hybrids of blackberries include the loganberry, which is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry, and the boysenberry, which is a cross between the raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry.  All of these are excellent for baking.
Blueberries: Over 160 varieties of blueberries are cultivated in Washington and Oregon.  Each variety has a varied degree of flavor and sweetness; however, for most blueberries a general rule of thumb is that the smaller the berry is the sweeter and more flavorful it will be.
Caviar: The salted eggs of the sturgeon fish.  Pacific Northwest caviar is made in the same tradition as Russian and Iranian sturgeon caviar whereby the egg sacs are passed along a mesh to separate the eggs then salted by an experienced professional who knows just how much and how long to salt the eggs.  Despite an abundance of female sturgeon in the Columbia River, many regulations exist concerning the collection of the roe making Pacific Northwest caviar rare as well as expensive.
Cherries: Bing cherries are America’s most popular variety.  They were first developed in the Hood River Valley area of Oregon and were named after a Chinese orchard manager who worked there.  Bing cherries have a sweet flavor and are dark red to almost black in color.  Rainier cherries were developed in Washington and, although sweet, have a much more delicate flavor than the Bing cherry.  Rainier cherries are larger in size and are gold with a reddish hue.  Other varieties of cherries common to the region are the Meteor cherry, which has a sour flavor and usually are used for pies, cobblers, and jams, and the Lambert cherry, which has a unique heart shape.  All cherries are seasonal in nature and are only available in the summer months.
Cougar Gold Cheese: A sharp, nutty cheese which started as an experiment to utilize excess milk production and was made by students on the campus at Washington State University in the 1930’s.  Cougar Gold cheese was named after the university’s mascot and comes in a variety of flavors all sold in 30-ounce cans.
Cranberries: Similar to the cranberries of the New England region, these berries grow in the bogs along the Northwest Pacific coastline.  Although the Pacific Northwest grows only a small fraction of America’s cranberries, they are sought after for their extremely high quality, excellent flavor, and deep-red color.  The annual harvest takes place in October.  Cranberries are very tart and are rarely eaten raw; however, they are excellent cooked and are used as an ingredient in a number of regional dishes.  Cranberries are also frequently utilized in baked goods when slightly sweetened and dried prior to use.
Dungeness Crab: Common to the waters from Mexico to the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. Dungeness crabs have unusually sweet tasting meat, which is very tender.  They are served hot or cold and are typically purchased whole and pre-cooked.  Dungeness crab season in the Pacific Northwest is in the winter months when the water is the coldest.
Filberts: Another name for hazelnuts.  In 1986, the Oregon nut-growing industry voted to discontinue the use of the name filberts due to the confusion it caused among consumers and industry professionals. (see hazelnuts)
Geoducks: The most famous of the Pacific Northwest’s clams even though it is not the most common variety.  Pronounced gooey-duck, this clam is a Native American word meaning digging deep.  The geoduck is quite large, sometimes growing up to five pounds, and has a long siphon that appears to look similar to a neck.  They have a tendency to burrow deep in the sand making them somewhat difficult to find.  The neck meat is generally tough and is usually chopped up and used in chowder, made into fritters, or pounded and pan-fried.  The meat from the interior, referred to as the breast, is more tender than the neck meat making it excellent for sautéing.  The breast of the geoduck is frequently used as an ingredient for sushi or served raw as sashimi.
Hazelnuts: A retired English sailor from the Hudson Bay Company planted the first hazelnut tree in Oregon in 1858.  Today, over 99% of America’s hazelnuts are grown in the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys of Oregon.  Hazelnuts can be eaten whole as a snack, but are more commonly used as an ingredient in cooking and for the production of baked goods and pastries.  The oil derived from grinding, heating, and pressing hazelnuts is highly prized, and when combined with a more neutral flavored oil, is excellent for use as a salad dressing or flavoring agent.  Hazelnuts are also used in such specialty products as paste, butter, and flour, all frequently used in gourmet cooking.
Huckleberries: A relative of the blueberry which grows wild in the coastal and mountain regions of the Pacific Northwest.  Huckleberries are bright red or deep purple in color and are very flavorful.  They are generally not available in consumer outlets due to their limited quantity and short growing season. However, they are commonly picked in the wild by residents of the local region.
Ice Wine: A regional trend in the production of late harvest wines. Ice wine was created by accident in 1978 by a winemaker working at the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Washington.  The occurrence began when the winemaker found his grapes frozen on the vine after an unusually cold evening.  This inventive winemaker decided to follow through with the wine making process as if the grapes had never frozen.  The wine ended up becoming a rare collector’s item because this particular weather pattern that did not reoccur until 1995.  Although Chateau Ste. Michelle is given credit for inventing this wine in America, it is in fact a long established tradition in Germany.
King Crab: The largest of the crab species, typically found in the waters of Alaska.  Most king crabs grow to about six pounds; however, they have been known to exceed 25 pounds in weight with a leg span of over six feet.  The legs are generally steamed and served either hot or cold with drawn butter.  Many crab connoisseurs believe king crabs have the best tasting meat of all crab species and should be served cold to get the best flavor from the sweet leg meat.  King crab is usually fished in the middle of winter in the rough icy waters off the Alaskan coast.  The danger involved with fishing these crabs is one reason why they are so expensive.  The legs of the king crab are typically purchased pre-cooked and frozen and are usually the only part of the crab utilized in commercial foodservice operations.
Lamb: Oregon and Washington are home to the Pacific Northwest’s favorite meat—lamb.  The most popular variety is the Ellensburg lamb, from eastern Washington, which is noted for its excellent balance of flavor, tenderness, and fat content.  This balance is attributed to the lamb’s primary diet of grass and wild herbs instead of the more common grain-feeding technique.
Lingonberry: A berry related to the cranberry and indigenous to the state of Alaska where it is sometimes referred to as the lowbush cranberry.  Although the lingonberry is not quite as tart as the cranberry it is not consumed raw, but rather cooked and used as an ingredient in other dishes just like its cranberry cousin.
Manila Clams: Originating in Asia, the Manila clam was introduced to the Pacific Northwest by Asian immigrants in the late 1800’s.  This clam is the most common variety in the region and is generally eaten in chowder or served steamed.  The Manila clam can be identified by its small size, usually only 1 inch in diameter; they grow well both in the wild as well as in oyster farms.
Marionberries: A sweet blackberry made by crossbreeding the wild and cultivated varieties of the evergreen blackberry.  The marionberry is the largest commercial crop of blackberries and is named after Marion County, which is in the center of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Mussels: The native mussel indigenous to the Pacific Northwest is the blue mussel, which grows in abundance attached to rocks and pilings along the coast.  Most blue mussels are named Penn Cove mussels after Penn Cove Bay where they are commonly grown, located off Whidbey Island in Washington State.  Recently the Mediterranean mussel was introduced to the Pacific Northwest waters.  This species of mussel is generally larger than the blue mussel and has plumper meat.  The Mediterranean mussel is flourishing in the region offering chefs a choice for their regional recipes.
Nettles: A perennial plant indigenous to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, which is foraged the spring.  Nettles have a peppery flavor and are used as an ingredient in cooking similar to sorrel or spinach.  Care must be taken when picking nettles as their stems are a skin irritant.
Oysters: The Pacific Northwest is home to four main species of oysters: Pacific, Kumamoto, European Flat, and Olympia.  Today, Washington produces the most oysters in the region as well as a significant percentage of America’s oysters.  The various names attached to oysters are not necessarily different species, but the name of the growing area from which they are harvested.  Because oysters filter about a hundred gallons of water every day, their flavor tends to take on the flavor and characteristics of the water where they grow.  Some popular Pacific oysters from the region are the Hama Hama, Shoalwater, and Wescott Bay.  Pacific Oysters are the most common oysters in the region’s waters.  The Pacific oyster was planted in the northwest region by the Japanese who immigrated to the area in the late 1800’s.  The Pacific Oyster is identified by its oblong, oval shape and its deeply cupped, lightly ridged shell. The Kumamoto oyster, originally from Japan, is smaller than the Pacific Oyster with a deeply cupped, fluted shell.  The meat has a smooth texture and a mild flavor.  The European Flat oyster, originally from Europe, has a flat, round shell.  Its meat has a pronounced flavor that is usually much stronger than that of the Pacific oyster.  The Olympia oyster is the only oyster that is truly native to the Pacific Northwest.  The Olympia oyster is very small measuring only about 2 inches in diameter.  The shell is round in shape and the meat has a mild, very delicate flavor.
Pears: The Willamette Valley in Oregon along with areas in Washington is well known for excellent red and green Bartlett pears.  Bartlett pears are bell shaped and have a sweet, tender flesh making them an excellent choice for cooking as well as eating raw.  The harvest of Bartlett pears is the region’s first of the season so they are not classified as a winter pear like many others grown in the region.  The same variety of pear exists in Europe; however, there they are called the Williams variety.  The winter pears grown in the region include Anjou and Comice, which are best eaten raw, and the Bosc, which is used for cooking.  Asian pears, also known as apple-pears, are also grown in the Pacific Northwest, but on a much smaller scale.  They are round in shape with a crisp, juicy flesh and are yellow or sometimes yellow-orange, and are best eaten raw.
Plums: Oregon and Washington are among America’s top five plum-producing states.  Freestone plums, also known as Italian plums, are usually cooked and are commonly used in pies, tarts, and jams.  Freestone plums get their name because the pit is not attached to the flesh of the plum and are very easily removed.  The region also produces numerous varieties of plums that are eaten raw or used in fruit salad.  Plums are seasonal in nature and are usually available only from June to August.
Raspberries: The two largest red-raspberry producing states are Washington and Oregon.  The Pacific Northwest also grows wild red and black raspberries but are not quite as common as the cultivated red raspberries. Raspberries season is in July.
Razor Clam: A popular variety of clam common to the Pacific Northwest.  The razor clam is long and slightly curved, resembling a straight razor used by barbers—thus their name.  Due to its unique shape, the razor clam is not used for stuffing but can be served steamed or chopped and used in chowder.  The razor clam is a favorite among the Japanese and is used for sushi and sashimi preparations.
Rockfish: This fish is common to the waters along the Pacific Coast from Baja California all the way to the Gulf of Alaska.  Although dozens of varieties of rockfish exist, the most common variety has a bright orange skin with a yellow eye.  Pacific rockfish are commonly referred to as Pacific red snapper even though the fish is only remotely related to the red snapper from the Atlantic Ocean.  The meat is lean and flaky with a mild flavor and is generally sautéed.  Other varieties of rockfish common to the region include black rockfish, quillback rockfish, canary rockfish, and Pacific Ocean perch.
Salmon: The Pacific Northwest produces 99% of America’s supply of wild salmon with Alaska alone responsible for 95%.  The fish are caught two ways: the first by using nets and the second by using hooks during trolling.  Netted salmon bring in larger quantities thus making the fish less expensive to purchase. However, the flesh can be damaged in the process resulting in a lower quality fish.  Trolling for salmon results in the highest quality fish since hooks are used and only one fish at a time can be caught on each hook.  Typically salmon caught through trolling will be labeled as such and will bring a higher price at market.  Salmon indigenous to the Pacific Northwest include Chum, King, Pink, Silver, and Sockeye varieties. Salmon is prepared using numerous techniques.  It is said that Alaskans have as many preparations for salmon as those in the ‘lower 48’ have for beef.  Descriptions of salmon indigenous to the Pacific Northwest region are listed below.

• Chum Salmon – This variety of salmon weighs about 7 pounds and is referred to by many other names including fall, dog, silverbrite, and calico salmon.  Chum salmon has a pale-colored flesh with a moderate fat content and a mild flavor. Chum salmon is commonly used to produce smoked salmon using both hot and cold smoking techniques.
• King Salmon – The largest of the salmon varieties weighing between 15-20 pounds.  King salmon, sometimes referred to as Chinook salmon, has a high oil content and a rich, full flavor making it excellent for grilling.  Some king salmon have no pigmentation of the flesh and are called white king salmon.  White king salmon are usually very expensive because they are rare; however, they have the same flavor and texture of normal king salmon.
• Pink Salmon – This variety of salmon is the smallest in size weighing only 3-5 pounds each.  Pink salmon are found in huge numbers in the Alaskan waters and are also referred to as humpback or humpy salmon.  Their flesh is light and moist but is more delicate than other varieties of salmon.  Most of the pink salmon production is canned and used for purposes similar to canned tuna.
• Silver Salmon – This variety of salmon usually weighs 7 pounds and is also referred to as coho or hooknose salmon.  It has a red flesh similar to the king salmon but a much lower fat content making it not quite as flavorful as the king variety but still an excellent tasting fish. Silver salmon are often used for canning purposes similar to canned tuna.
• Sockeye Salmon – These fish generally weigh 6 pounds and have an intense red-colored flesh.  Sockeye salmon are also referred to as red salmon or bluejack salmon.  The Japanese purchase the majority of the sockeye catch as red is the color of celebration in Japan.  This makes the fish more rare in America as well as more expensive in the markets than the other varieties of salmon.

Salmon Berries: A relative of wild raspberries, the salmon berry is an orange-red color and usually grows in clusters resembling plump salmon eggs.  Salmon berries are not available commercially and must be foraged in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest where they grow wild.
Smoked Salmon: Originally prepared to preserve salmon throughout the winter.  In the Pacific Northwest the hot smoking technique also referred to as kippering and is preferred to the cold smoking technique which leaves the salmon virtually raw.  Hot smoked salmon is usually prepared by first brining the fish in a wet or dry brine; the salmon is then rinsed and cooked very slowly over a smoking hard wood fire.
Snow Crab: A smaller relative of the king crab found in the icy cold waters of Alaska.  Snow crab is usually purchased out of the shell, pre-cooked, and frozen; however, when in season it is also available in the shell.  Unlike the king crab, the body meat is utilized as well as the leg meat.  Typically, the meat is available in many ways:—body meat only, leg meat only, and a variety of combinations of body and leg meat.  Snow crabmeat is used as an ingredient in other dishes, but when available can also be prepared by streaming similar to king crab.
Stone Fruits: A term used to describe fruits containing a single pit or seed.  Varieties of stone fruits include cherries, plums, peaches, and apricots to name a few.
Strawberries: The most widely consumed and utilized berries in America.  They are Oregon’s largest berry crop and also a significant crop in Washington.  The Pacific Northwest is the second largest commercial strawberry producer in America next to California. The highly prized wild strawberry with its extremely sweet taste and fragrant aroma is more commonly found in the Pacific Northwest than any other region in America.
Sturgeon: One of the oldest fish still thriving today and found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest.  The sturgeon is a descendent from prehistoric times and can be identified by its long snout and bone structure that is on the surface of the flesh as opposed to within the fish itself.  Sturgeon is a meaty white fish available in the fall.  It is excellent sautéed, grilled, or smoked.  The egg sac of the female sturgeon is made into caviar.
Thai Black Rice: A highly glutinous rice black in color.  Thai Black rice is known for its nutty flavor and distinctly pleasing aroma.
Tillamook Cheese: A Native American word meaning land of many waters.  Tillamook is a county in Northwestern Oregon where the milk from Holstein, Jersey, and Guernsey cows are transformed into a premier cheddar cheese.  A Canadian cheese maker named Peter McIntosh familiar with the cheese making process in Cheddar, England, arrived in Tillamook County in the late 1800’s. He is well known for his contributions which significantly improved the quality of the local cheeses and founded the tradition of cheddar-style cheeses commonly produced in the area.  Today, two-pound blocks of cheddar cheese from Tillamook County is America’s top-selling name brand natural cheese with an annual production of over 35 million pounds.
Walla Walla Onions: Sweet onions grown in Oregon. Walla Walla onions are as well known as other special onions with unique flavors such as Vidalia onions from Georgia and Maui onions from Hawaii.
Wild Mushrooms: Of the 2,500 varieties of wild mushrooms common to the Pacific Northwest, only about 35 are considered to be of choice edible quality.  The prime locations for gathering wild mushrooms are in Western Oregon and Washington as well as in many areas of Alaska.  The spring and fall seasons are when the vast majority of wild mushrooms become available starting with morels in April and ending with chanterelles as late as December.  Other popular varieties of wild mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest include puffballs, chanterelles, matsutake, and “chicken of the woods.”  Wild mushrooms need to be fully cooked before eating due to the residual toxins that exist in many varieties.  The cooking process destroys the toxins preventing food-borne illness.  Descriptions of wild mushrooms indigenous to the Pacific Northwest region are listed below.

• Chanterelles – The most plentiful of the wild mushrooms found in the Pacific Northwest.  Chanterelles are yellow or white in color and appear as early as July and have been known to be available as late as December.  Chanterelles have a very unique flavor and are best cooked in a simple fashion allowing the flavor to be fully appreciated.
• Chicken of the Woods –These mushrooms become available in fall and early winter.  They are flat and do not have a stem.  Their name comes from their texture and flavor, which is similar to chicken meat.
• Morels – A mushroom with an earthy flavor generally found in April through the end of May.  Morels are tan to black in color and have a cone-shaped, umbrella-capped stem.  Their growing patterns are inconsistent and unpredictable making them scarce as well as very expensive.  The wrinkled caps are attached to a woody stem with a hollow center that lends itself well to stuffing.
• Matsutake Mushrooms – A wild mushroom highly prized by the Asian community.  Matsutake mushrooms become available in mid fall and are noted for their rich earthy flavor. Their shape resembles a shiitake mushroom only with a thicker and lumpier cap.
• Puffballs – A large, spherical shaped mushroom that is found in the fall.  Their large size and firm texture make them well suited for cutting into steaks and either grilled or sautéed.
• Truffles – A rare fungus that grows underground among the roots of certain trees—primarily Douglas fir’s in the Pacific Northwest as opposed to oak trees in France and Italy. Truffles indigenous to the Pacific Northwest include the tuber gibbosum, similar to the white truffles of Umbria, Italy, and two varieties of black truffles, the tuber magnatum and the melanogaster carthusianum both commonly found in Perigord, France.  Truffles are known for their unique flavor and aroma.  Truffles from the Pacific Northwest are quite rare and very expensive, seldom reaching the commercial markets of America.

Menus from Pacific Northwest Cuisine

 

Menu One

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Thai Black Rice

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Soba Noodle Salad with Grilled Mushrooms

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Spicy Northwest Fisherman’s Stew

Fried Fennel

 

Menu Two

Lopez Island Mussels in Spicy Butter Sauce

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Chilled Blackberry Yogurt Soup

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Sautéed Halibut with Warm Apple and Cranberry Compote

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Cardamom Cornmeal Waffles

Menu Three

Cauliflower Soup with Tillamook Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts

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Watercress Salad with Oregon Blue Cheese, Hazelnuts, and Chardonnay Vinaigrette

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Pacific Salmon with Asparagus and Butter Sauce

Northwest Mushroom Sauté

Mashed Potato and Wheatberry Cakes