PORT TOWNSEND — The culinary treasures of the North Olympic Peninsula draw tourists and provide an economic boost to the region, Diane Schostak, executive director of the North Olympic Peninsula Convention and Visitor Bureau, said earlier this week.

“It’s an economic driver for us to invite people to experience not just our restaurants but the idea and the experience of culinary tourism,” Schostak told about 50 people at the Jeff­erson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday.

“It’s also the preparation, the farm tours and the whole concept,” she said.

Schostak said shellfish farms, salmon runs and watching salmon prepared in traditional native ways can attract people to the region.

Schostak made the presentation with Port Townsend Marketing Director Christina Pivarnik.

Both are members of the Olympic Culinary Loop’s board of directors.

Culinary loop

With a few detours, the loop follows U.S. Highway 101 through Shelton, Quilcene, Sequim, Port Angeles, Forks, Quinalt, Hoquiam and Aberdeen and returns to Olympia.

The loop isn’t a day trip, Schostak said.

It takes at least three days to cover the area from start to finish.

She doesn’t expect people to take the full tour.

Instead, the idea is to get people within the region to take several trips throughout the year to enjoy local food.

“They can’t drive the loop in a day or a week; this is two or three trips,” Schostak said.

The organization is recruiting members at various levels who will then share benefits, such as training, promotion and networking.

Not everything on the menu needs to be home-grown, but restaurants that join up should serve at least a few purely local dishes.

Local food falls into four categories: grown, such as vegetables; harvested, such as shellfish and other seafood; crafted, such as beer, wine, coffee and cheese; and foraged, such as mushrooms and berries.

“We have more product on the Hood Canal and Jeff­erson County, but this is a springboard to grow that loop,” Schostak said.

“There are products out there in the wilds in the other half of the Peninsula. It’s a growing thing.”

Pivarnik said the market for culinary tourism is untapped and that much of the target market is unaware of this preference.

“If you are on a trip and look for restaurants that have local flair and flavor, you are a culinary tourist,” she said.

For more information about the Olympic Culinary Loop, visit www.olympicculinaryloop.com.

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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.