I've been a
Seahawks fan since I was old enough to say "football," and couldn't be happier that my favorite NFL team is
finally taking its rightful place in the Superbowl. But what matters more than a city's fortunes on the gridiron? Well,
their food, of course.
This week, Sarah Gim and I will be comparing and contrasting the foods of the two super cities, Seattle and Pittsburgh. We'll be butting heads in an all-out food war. I may be a tad bit biased... but I think I know who's going to win.
Seattle is a city characterized by its position on the great Puget Sound, and as such the city's cuisine is based on the seafood available as near as the sound and as far away as Alaska. Thanks to the huge ocean-going vessels that come and go from the downtown ports, the city also is flavored by the rich food cultures of Japan and China.
When I think of Seattle, the first food I can taste, raw and salty in my mouth, is the oyster. I like to think it's what real seahawks would eat.
Oysters are good to eat most of the year, except in the summer, when they're spawning. That make January and February prime eating time and oysters seem to be available everywhere in the Northwest.Despite the oyster-rich culture, with every bay, inlet and river claiming its own delicious "brand," only one variety of oysters is native to the Pacific Northwest: the Olympia. It's the littlest oyster known to man and, as such, isn't the one you'll see proudly displayed on most oyster bars. The Pacific oyster, imported from Japan, is the most ubiquitous one available in the Northwest.
What is the best way to serve oysters? Well, you could eat them breaded and deep-fried, or creamy and rich in Oysters Rockefeller, or spiced up with Tabasco sauce and lemon juice. But most native Seattle foodies will look at you askance if you try to eat them any way but raw, right off the shell, slurped and salty and cold.
Update: bam! Sarah Gim wallops back with a post on Pittsburgh's pierogis (say that five times fast), and more Super Bowl goodness can be found here on Slashfood with recipes and ideas like a "Walk the Dog" hot dog bar; a Spanish tapas Super Bowl party theme; peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting (and footballs!); avocados, avocados everywhere; lots of crunchy munchies from the tortilla bake to the walking taco to ants on a log to artichoke dip. And of course, every Super bowl party needs the beverages, may we suggest Touchdown Tea? But don't forget: watch out for those fart-inducers. You don't want to watch the Seahawks win in a stinky house!
[Photo Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
