When Will Flohr and his roommates stopped in at their neighbors’ pig roast, they were in awe of the amazing spread set out for the occasion. The tables in the yard were packed with economy-sized pans heaping with slowroasted pork and boiled potatoes, and they couldn’t wait to try it all. But as Will, a Syracuse University student from Bronxville, N.Y., waited in line, he noticed that several people were skipping the delicious pork and piling their plates with only the potatoes. He had to wonder, what was so special about these little potatoes? As his neighbors soon told him, this wasn’t just any side dish; these were salt potatoes. And any Central New Yorker will tell you that they’re much more than your typical spud. During the 17 and 1800s, the saltwater springs surrounding Onondaga Lake were the lifeblood of the booming salt industry based in Syracuse. According to the Salt Museum in Liverpool, N.Y., salt manufacturers dug the first well in 1806, after which they pumped the salt water, or brine, out to be boiled in large kettles over fire pits. Factory workers watched over the kettles and removed the salt crystals that formed at the top before laying them out to dry. After a few weeks, the “white gold” was ready for shipping across the country. The former “Salt City” produced almost all of the nation’s salt up until the 1920s, when natural resource shortage and high production expenses led to the industry’s downfall. But out of the salt factories came a C.N.Y. tradition that has lived on. As the story goes, large numbers of Irish immigrants working in the salt factories brought small potatoes with them each day, and boiled them in the brine for a quick and cheap lunch. This thrifty trick led two Irish brothers from the Keeffe family to serve salt potatoes with beer as the main meal in their saloon on Wolf St., and this dish became immediately popular with the locals. Records from the March 1899 issue of the Syracuse Sunday Herald demonstrate the steadfast appreciation for this dish, describing the potatoes as “feasts for a king…mealy and bursting through their skins, with the salt clinging to them in particles that shone like miniature diamonds.” The news article also claimed “a Syracusan who entertains a
stranger without giving him a chance at the delicious delicacy is lacking in some of the fine points of hospitality.” In 1914, John Hinerwadel opened Hinerwadel’s Grove in North Syracuse, a picnic grounds where he and his family still host their famous clambakes complete with fresh corn on the cob and homemade salt potatoes as sides. The Hinerwadel family began bagging the potatoes, which are grown at a neighboring farm, making it simple for families to cook the taters at home. The paper sacks are embellished with a well-known red and yellow seal and contain five pounds of the tiny potatoes and a 12-ounce packet of salt. Local grocery stores like Wegmans and Tops, sell between four and five million pounds each year. Today this unique side dish is a staple in homes from Syracuse, to Rochester to Binghamton. “You don’t grow up thinking they’re unusual because salt potatoes are such a standard item in the area,” says Mike Brennan, a marketing major at Syracuse University and native of Central New York. Brennan was raised on salt potatoes in his Manlius home, where they were cooked by the five-pound bag and served with almost any meal. “On Thanksgiving we always have mashed potatoes and salt potatoes. That’s just the way it is,” he says. “You know it’s gonna be a well-liked dish by all the 3-1-5ers.” A 2010 article in The Atlantic describes the reason for the distinct flavor and texture that has CNY residents captivated: “The salt at that high a level penetrates all the way into the center, so this isn’t just a standard lightly salted boiled potato, and it has a texture that’s a bit more akin to a baked potato.” The potatoes are crusty on the outside, creamy on the inside and best eaten piping hot and served with melted butter for dipping. They sell like hot potatoes (excuse the pun) during the summer months when they make their appearances at almost every backyard barbecue and family picnic, but they make for a great warm, comforting dish in fall and winter as well. Embrace your Central New York pride and give this iconic and historic dish a try. Served at clambakes, the New York State Fair, and even local restaurants such as Dinosaur BarB-Que, they’re not difficult to track down, and your taste buds will thank you. FALL 2011
27