Famous Idaho Foods Beyond the Potato (And Where to Find Them)

Idaho's food identity starts with the potato and stays there for most people. Understandably so - Idaho produces about a third of all potatoes grown in the United States, according to the Idaho Potato Commission. [External: idahopotato.com] But the state has a food culture that goes well beyond its most famous crop, and summer is the season when a lot of it comes together.

Wild Huckleberries

Huckleberries are Idaho's most prized wild food. They grow at elevation in the mountains of northern and central Idaho, can't be commercially farmed at scale, and have a flavor - tart, complex, intensely berry - that no cultivated fruit replicates. Huckleberry season runs roughly from late July through August, and picking them is a summer ritual for generations of Idaho families.

Idaho Candy Company's Huckleberry Gem Bar is one of the best ways to experience this flavor in candy form, and it ships nationwide. 

Finger Steaks

Finger steaks are an Idaho original - strips of beef tenderloin battered and deep fried, typically served with a dipping sauce. They were invented in Boise in the 1950s and remain a staple on menus across the state. You won't find them on many menus outside Idaho.

Trout

Idaho is one of the top trout-producing states in the country, both wild and farmed. Snake River trout has earned a strong regional reputation, and trout prepared simply - pan-fried or grilled - is a summer staple at homes and restaurants across the state.

Idaho Candy Bars

Idaho Candy Company has been making candy in Boise since 1901. Their bars - the Idaho Spud Bar, the Old Faithful Bar, the Cherry Cocktail Bar, the Huckleberry Gem Bar, the Vandal Bar, and the Bronco Bites Bar - are as tied to Idaho's food identity as anything else on this list. The Idaho Spud Bar in particular, shaped like a potato and made since 1918, is about as Idaho as food gets.

The full lineup ships nationwide from their Boise factory at idahospud.com. If you're visiting Idaho this summer, it's one of the most authentic edible souvenirs you can bring home.