Oregon State Foods

Hazelnut STATUS Official Hazelnut Foliage and Nut YEAR DESIGNATED 1989 THE FOOD The hazelnut, also called a filbert, is a small round to oval, edible tree nut. The outer shell is thick and difficult to crack, reddish brown with a tan cap at one end and a slight point at the other. Inside, the hazelnut is also more or less round, with a slight point at one end. It has a reddish brown skin, creamy white meat, and a rich, nutty flavor. Hazelnuts are popular ingredients in sweets and chocolates, particularly in European praline paste. They can also be added to breads, garnish meat or pasta dishes, or be eaten plain as a snack. THE SIGNIFICANCE Though there are species of hazelnuts native to the U.S., Oregon hazelnuts are mostly the larger European variety, Corylus avellana. Almost all American-grown hazelnuts come from the state’s Willamette Valley. Hazelnut growing in the state started in the mid to late 1800s but did not become a serious industry until after World War II. Pacific Golden Chanterelle STATUS Official Pacific Golden Chanterelle YEAR DESIGNATED 1999 THE FOOD The Pacific Golden chanterelle, Cantharellus formosus, is an edible wild mushroom. It has a vase-shaped stalk topped with an indented cap, so it looks a little like a funnel. The mushroom has vertical veins or ridges on the underside of the cap and is typically golden yellow, sometimes tinged with orange or pink. It grows under coniferous trees. Its firm texture and nutty, peppery flavor are valued for cooking. Chanterelles often feature in very simple dishes, for example cooked with garlic and cream or in scrambled eggs or an omelet. They are also used in sauces and stews with meat or chicken, soups, pizzas, and savory pancakes. THE SIGNIFICANCE Oregon’s pine forests and wet conditions make a particularly favorable environment for the Pacific Golden chanterelle, to the point that over 500,000 pounds of this mushroom are harvested in the state every year, mostly in the fall. Mushrooms are such a popular state product that Oregon is home to the Cascade Mycological Society, a group devoted to hunting and cooking local mushrooms, including the Pacific Golden chanterelle. Pear STATUS Official Pear YEAR DESIGNATED 2005 THE FOOD Pears, or Pyrus, are tree fruits in the rose family. Pears are teardrop-shaped with the stem at the narrow end and usually greenish-yellow when ripe, though some pears have a red blush or ripen to a red-brown color all over. Inside, a pear is cream-colored with firm to slightly soft grainy flesh. A thin, fibrous core runs up the middle of the fruit and a few smooth, pointed brown seeds form a star shape in the center. Pears are most commonly eaten fresh or canned. Fresh or dried pears are often used as ingredients in salads or cakes. THE SIGNIFICANCE Pears came to Oregon in the 1800s with European settlers. As it turned out, they are particularly suited to growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest, and are now Oregon’s most important fruit crop. Most pear orchards are in the southern part of the state, especially Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Marion, and Wasco counties. Oregon grows about 140 million pounds of Bartlett pears, and 264 million pounds of Comice, Anjou, and Bosc pears each year. -World Trade Press