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Idaho dishes out more than sides

The state l ong associated with p otato es shows off its other culinary treats : trout, beef, onions, wine.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published October 16, 2006

Boise, Idaho - The spud may be king among Idaho food products, even featured on the state's license plates, but it can be a galling stereotype for farmers and ranchers who grow other things. Few have ever escaped a trade show without being asked, "You grow (insert crop) in Idaho? I thought that was the potato state."

Producers of Idaho's other culinary offerings are now banking on the hope that there's strength in numbers, and that by banding together they'll persuade buyers to equate the state with buttery beef, nutty trout, sweet onions and fine wine.

It's all about romanticizing the region and highlighting Idaho's strengths, said Sherise Jones, director of the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee. Jones and other local food industry leaders recently hosted international food writers to showcase the finer side of Idaho food: Beside every baked potato is a cut of Kobe beef or a rainbow trout just waiting to shine.

"Scientifically, there's something really wonderful about this region - the water, the climate, the volcanic soil," Jones said. "So many of us producers sell a lot on the East Coast, so it's natural for us to unite in a marketing effort."

It will take some time to see if the four-day junket through southern Idaho pays off, but the producers are talking about holding similar events in the future, Jones said.

But John Lawn, one of the 13 food editors to attend the tour, said the approach could work.

"Did it change my view of Idaho? Yeah, it probably did," said Lawn, the editor-in-chief of Food Management magazine. "Those folks have a big row to hoe as far as getting national attention, but there's a lot of interest in these boutique markets now."

Today's consumers want to know more about what they're eating, Lawn said.

"The white-tablecloth chefs like to romance this issue a lot, but the truth is, consumers today are more sophisticated. They're not happy just hearing that it's a roast beef sandwich, they want to know where the meat, the recipe came from," he said.

The tour started with a dinner at the Boise restaurant Mortimer's, prepared by Idaho chef Jon Mortimer.

Each carefully constructed "tasting" course highlighted local foods paired with local wines, and the food editors exclaimed over the delicate color of the trout, the tender texture of the beef and the combination of the piercingly sweet ice wine poured over perfectly ripened peaches and raspberries.

Like many chefs, Mortimer has long embraced the concept of buying local over importing foods from far away.

"As an American, I've relied on what we do best and that's serve great food," he said. "The closer you are to the fields and the ranches the more nutritious, flavorful and fresher the food is."

[Last modified October 15, 2006, 19:45:54]