The Cruisine Of The Pacific Northwest

How Nature's Abundance Influences Pacific Northwest Cuisine

The cuisine of the Pacific Northwest spans across the states of Washington and Oregon, but also includes the regions north along the coast into Alaska. There are many notable influences that make up this diverse and delicious form of cooking, both far and near. However, the main influence for this cuisine isn't from another country or continent, but from the Pacific Northwest region itself.

For many reasons, the region provides an almost limitless supply of food. The fact that there are many miles of ocean shoreline makes seafood a huge component of this region's cuisine. In addition to seafood, much of the coast enjoys a temperate climate which turns out an abundance of fruits and vegetables all year round.

The Pacific Northwest is known for its healthy, natural way of life and the simple preparation of meals served around the region. Home cooks and restaurant chefs alike avoid heavy handed cooking techniques and prepackaged ingredients. When they have such easy access to fresh ingredients, why bother with packaged?  Plentiful fruits, vegetables, seafood, farm fresh poultry, meat, and wild game can easily be a part of every meal.

Many folks in this region are able to live with just the resources nature provides because of the climate, the sea, the woods, the farms, and the rich soil. The area is perfectly suited for growing a variety of edibles, such as apples, pears, berries, vegetables, herbs, and even  mushrooms, just to name a few. When you mix in the numerous fishing and gaming opportunities, there are never reasons to get bored with cooking meals in the Pacific Northwest.

Nature's abundance also provides some surprises in cooking methods, making meals very interesting. One such method is the 'plank' cooking technique for fish. Again, we can look to the region's natural resources to explain this method of cooking; look around and you'll see cedar and fish everywhere. In this method, the fish is placed on a cedar plank over an open fire, then slowly cooked to develop all the smokey flavors.

There are plenty of other ways to cook fish, but this process is very popular, and economical. With an abundance of cedar and fish, it's only natural the two should come together.

The preparation of meals around the Pacific Northwest is clearly a simple and efficient  way of cooking, one that focuses on natural resources. If you have the chance to visit the Pacific Northwest you will see a region in which the people rely heavily on the abundance of the resources provided – naturally!