Craft Ham

Hazelnut fed ham

The northwest is a fantastic place for food. Other parts of the US may produce more food, but there can't be many places that produce such a variety. Things are particularly good right now, with almost everything we grow in season. The farmer's markets are loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, we've got fantastic access to seafood, some of the best organic beef, and now we've got hazelnut fed pigs. Taking a page from the producers of Spain's Iberico, local farmers are using the scrap from Oregon's massive hazelnut crop to supplement their pig's diets. This apparently leads to a slight nutty taste to the flesh (or, rather, the fat) of the pig.

I say apparently because it is retailing for something like $8 a pound, and right now only at a few specialty vendors, which makes it a little hard for me to get my hands on it. I suppose I could afford about 2 ounces of it if I cleaned out my checking account, but it is on my list for Christmas. And my birthday.

The Northwest is one helluva great place to eat. It may rain a lot, but it is a very small price to pay for one of the most diverse and plentiful foodsheds in America. Eating local isn't an ethical thing for us, it just tastes so much better.