Superabundant
In Oregon, corn is on the menu more — thanks in part to culture and climate change
When Americans think of states that grow corn, Oregon very likely isn’t the first to come to mind. However, here's why corn is becoming a more important food in Oregon.
Culture
How science and history created the delicious Oregon strawberry
Strawberries have a long history in Oregon, both as part of our agricultural landscape and also as part of our state's story. From arriving via the Oregon Trail, to varieties being developed to combat disease, to a century old celebration with enough strawberry shortcake to feed a city, Oregon is serious about its strawberries.
Superabundant
How chardonnay reflects Oregon’s changing wine scene
Pinot Noir put Northwest wine on the map, but chardonnay, its white-wine cousin, is having a moment. A new generation of winemakers is pushing the boundaries of what our region can do. With some key scientific advances, and a better understanding of our soils and terroir, Oregon chardonnays are breaking into numerous “best of” lists and commanding premium prices.
Oregon is at the forefront of psilocybin’s future, but the host fungi’s past is still mysterious
While the therapeutic use of psilocybin for mental health issues is increasing in Oregon and other states, scientists are still searching for psilocybe mushrooms’ origin story.
Superabundant
Oregon’s culinary Superabundance is rooted in soils that formed over billions of years
From the lava plains of the Alvord Desert to the fertile alluvium of the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s secret wealth is lying all around us. It’s an ingredient forged from stars, fire and ice and, though often overlooked, is key to the state’s food systems. It's the soil.
Superabundant in 2023
Superabundant's second course explores the ingredients that sustain the Northwest. Follow Dungeness crab from underwater meadows to the dinner plate. Taste how Oregon's unique soils, give character to Chardonnay. Examine the complex relationship between humans and psilocybin mushrooms. Learn why Oregon is a strawberry paradise. And see why corn could represent Oregon's future.
Past newsletters
Superabundant dispatch: Salt-preserved cherry blossoms and this week’s news nibbles
Cherry blossoms are more than the prettiest harbingers of spring. Rivers, dams, mussels, salmon and more reasons to ponder the fungi-verse.
Superabundant dispatch: Irish lamb stew with potato-dulse dumplings and this week’s news nibbles
Pi-Day's connection to the state, fish and chips and a St. Patrick's Day stew, Oregon-style.
Superabundant dispatch: Hazelnut-rose baklava and this week’s news nibbles
The Muslim holiday Ramadan begins at sundown on Sunday, a month of fasting and prayer. Every evening, however, the fast is broken with a feast of succulent pilafs, unctuous stews, warm flatbreads and tons of sticky desserts such as baklava. This week's featured recipe is a fragrant hazelnut baklava drenched in rich rose syrup.
How the Oregon truffle bends humans to its will
Truffles are mysterious organisms that thrive in the damp forests of the Pacific Northwest, especially in Oregon. Like their above-ground cousins, mushrooms, they are the fruit of vast underground networks of fungus.
Meet the delicious purple sea creature destroying Pacific kelp forests
The purple sea urchin population on the West coast has skyrocketed, putting the coastal ecosystem in peril. If you can't beat them, eat them.
‘More than just sweet’: Honey’s surprising abundance of flavors
Since the first domestic beehives in ancient Egypt, humans have been working alongside bees to cultivate the honey we love so much. We speak to Lee Hedgmon, master brewer and founder of The Barreled Bee, where she sells her barrel-aged honey creations.
From dairies to restaurants, robots could be the future of food
Tech and food have gone together since our ancient ancestors made stone hand axes. Increasingly, automated systems — you might call them robots — are part of that equation.
Why people all over the world love Oregon-grown wheat
Most of the wheat from the Northwest travels the world, where it's eaten in countries like Japan, China, the Philippines and Indonesia. But it’s also being enjoyed much closer to the fields where it is grown.
Salmon: The original ‘Superabundant’ food of the Pacific Northwest
Few things unite the Pacific Northwest’s culture, economy and ecology like food. But sometimes the ingredients we eat are also divisive. Take salmon: Once these fish were superabundant throughout the region, but the arrival of western settlers — who introduced overfishing and dams — has taken a toll.
Latest Food Stories
Superabundant dispatch: Salt-preserved cherry blossoms and this week’s news nibbles
Cherry blossoms are more than the prettiest harbingers of spring. Rivers, dams, mussels, salmon and more reasons to ponder the fungi-verse.
Oregon Legislature greenlights federal summer food program for income-eligible kids
Oregon is set to participate in a new federal summer food program that could benefit nearly 300,000 kids across the state.
Superabundant dispatch: Irish lamb stew with potato-dulse dumplings and this week’s news nibbles
Pi-Day's connection to the state, fish and chips and a St. Patrick's Day stew, Oregon-style.
Plan a delicious trip, from Astoria to Neskowin on Oregon’s North Coast Food Trail. Fresh seafood, locally sourced menus, artisan cheese, craft beverages, farmers markets, cooking classes, and guided tours and foraging, all with scenic views, tall trees and ocean breezes. Named “best foodie trip” by Sunset Magazine.
Welcome to the best of what Northwest soil and soul has to offer. Food and grocery goodness picked and prepped for maximum PNW love. Where what comes from local and regional farms, ranches and makers gets its time to shine – and in-house chefs and bakers conjure up delicious every day. Come see what the PNW made today.