What brought an ‘American Idol’ winner to Olympia? Geoducks, of course

If you had to pick a food that represents all that Washington cuisine has to offer, what would it be?

Folks behind the television show “State Plate” picked the geoduck, and they visited Chelsea Farms in Olympia to get a taste for an episode airing later this month.

The series — hosted by former “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks on the family entertainment network INSP — highlights states’ most iconic foods. Think crabs in Maryland, potatoes in Idaho.

“It was totally random — I think they found us on Instagram or Facebook — but we got a call from them saying they wanted to come,” said Shina Wysocki, co-owner of Chelsea Farms.

Hicks and crew visited the 30-year-old farm in July to harvest geoducks. Later they filmed at Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar, which opened in December in downtown Olympia.

“(Hicks) was right down in the mud getting totally disgusting,” Wysocki said. “Then he came back to our restaurant and watched our chef clean them and prepare them all different ways for his crew to taste.”

Washington’s episode, airing at 5 p.m. Oct. 27 on INSP, also features coho salmon grilled on a cedar plank, stewed apples, raspberry tart and “an artfully poured espresso drink,” according to the network, which is touting it like this: “It’s a heaping helping of The Evergreen State, piled high with its weird, scrumptious, and aromatic foods.”

Wysocki said despite its appearance, the geoduck was a hit.

“Geoduck is delicious. It’s incredibly mild, it’s about the opposite of how it looks,” she said. “It’s clean and sweet and mild, definitely well received.”

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 7:54 AM with the headline "What brought an ‘American Idol’ winner to Olympia? Geoducks, of course."