But Flavor-Crisp had a hit on their hands. Their vision was to establish the first restaurant in Akron where patrons could satisfy their cravings for pizza and chicken at one place. Our local A&W stand would serve them with the cheeseburgers and root beer straight from the keg. The origin of potato wedges is not known, but the availability of commercial pressure fryers in the 1950s ("broaster" fryers were trademarked in 1954) made potato wedges easier to prepare. Its website states that best friends Alfred Ajamie and Walter Abood founded Fiesta Pizza and Chicken in 1963. After spending some time at pizza shops and bars, I learned that Jojos are potato wedges. PORTLAND NEEDS WILLAMETTE WEEK. Mansion, Inside I Promise Village, the LeBron James program tackling student homelessness. Sean Steele, the manager of the Swan Lake Senior Center (whose lunch menu generated this puzzle) is more direct. Calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and more for Potato Wedges (Deli Style, Seasoned - Great Value). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Jojo potatoes are thick wedges, coated in a vaguely Cajun spice mix and usually served with ranch dressing. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Potato wedges, also called jojos, are a variation of french fries. For 40 years, the company Paul's father started, Nicewonger Co., flooded the Portland area with pressure fryers used to make chicken and jojos. Alongside Henny Penny, the Broaster Company of Beloit, Wisc., was the one of the first to make a reliable pressure fryer, and so "broasting" became synonymous with the machines. Jojo's aren't just potato wedges. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. oregon calls them potato wedges. • In some regions of the United States, particularly Oregon, Washington, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Utah, Northeast Ohio, and Upstate New York, a popular variation of potato wedges are known as jojos. "There are a lot of places that will call anything a jojo," Nicewonger says. Flavor-Crisp reps reportedly sold those jojos in Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northeast Ohio, upstate New York and the Pacific Northwest—Echtenkamp says the company even had a trademark on jojos. The name. Jo-jos are simply unpeeled potato wedges thrown in the fryer, but the name may have derived from the idea of “junk,” because the potato scraps were considered worthless until restaurateurs … Allow the wedges to sit with the coating for 15 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. As their name suggests, they are wedges of potatoes, often large and unpeeled, that are either baked or fried. Terry says that it took his dad and Walter a few tries before turning the potatoes into crispy, mouthwatering perfection in 1963. He likes the Oxford comma but can't use it in the newspaper. Jillian Holness is a recent graduate of Kent State University’s School of Journalism. We'll get more into the local lore as Jojo Month rolls on. The display will reflect ON while the IP comes to pressure. Want to use it in a meal plan? Ron Echtenkamp, former president of Ballantyne Strong, a technology solutions company based in Nebraska, told the exact same story — except former Vice President Ed Nelson created Jojos at a 1961 restaurant show in Chicago. “Potato wedges” has been cited in print since at least 1955 and 1958. Flavor-Crisp salesman across the country sold the idea of jojos with their pressure fryers. Terry may claim that his dad and Walter are the pioneers of Jojos in northeast Ohio, but the fried potato also has roots in Portland, Oregon. Jojos are often found at the same deli counters or bars that serve fried chicken, because the pressure fryer is what gives jojos their shatter-crispy outer layer. For now, just remember that it's not unique to the Northwest, and that if it's not breaded and pressure-fried, it's not a jojo. . Your email address will not be published. "The guy that actually started the jojo by accident was Ed Nelson—that was back in 1961," Echtenkamp tells WW. The name was invented here and is used only here—a country quirk of our nation's upper-left corner. Years ago I worked at a … Photo at top: Jojo eating contest at Signal Tree Festival on Aug. 11, 2018. In the '80s, every city in Oregon had something called a jojo. WW NEEDS YOU. The need for strong, independent local journalism is more urgent than ever. A variation in spelling and pronunciation is mojos, particularly in Western Canada, the Western United States and Canada's Yukon. "My father actually invented the jojo," Nicewonger says. They also were called home fries, wedges, spuds or tater babies — and Shakey’s Pizza trademarked the term “mojo potatoes.” But none of this explains where the word came from. "He was the VIP of the company for a while. As its name suggests, they are large, often unpeeled wedges of potatoes that are either baked or fried. The potatoes are perfectly crisp on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside. I moved back and everyone was calling … Potato wedges were something I really enjoyed eating when I was growing up. Fight me. But there's more to it than just frying up a wedge potato in a pan. Brings back memories. Ask a Portlander about jojos, and a lot of them will tell you the same story: It's just a funny name people in the Northwest call a potato wedge. Pressure frying is the only reason fast-food fried chicken exists at all: Colonel Sanders had been experimenting with the process as early as the '40s, when it was a dangerous and improvised method involving the occasional hot-oil explosion. Transfer seasoned potato wedges onto trivet in IP. Then it is time to coat the potatoes with the seasoning blend that gives them the flavor reminiscent of Jojo potatoes. At the time, Nicewonger was distributing pressure fryers through the whole Portland metro area, selling the first ones to a chain of drive-in theaters in 1958. According to Nicewonger, his father was at a restaurant trade show demonstrating the marvels of pressure-frying chicken, and just so happened to be next to some guys from Idaho who were hawking potatoes. Please support the city we loveby joining Friends of Willamette Week. These famous potato wedges are sold in many places. Photo by Ashley Kouri. It’s what he told me—he just said it’s what came into his head.”. As for how the potatoes became known as Jojos, it’s rumored that the name derived from the idea of “junk” because the parts of the potatoes were considered scraps until entrepreneurs realized they could be pressure fried and turned into crispy, delicious gold. Bake the Jo Jo’s by placing a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. For the most part, the seasonings don't effect reheating, although some, like Parmesan, may make the wedges burn faster. Matthew Korfhage has lived in St. Louis, Chicago, Munich and Bordeaux, but comes from Portland, where he makes guides to the city and writes about food, booze and books. Jojos are a staple of old-school truck stops and bars all over Oregon and Washington, a word most locals will apply to any old potato cut lengthwise into wedges. Since the internet doesn’t have all the answers and time machines don’t exist, there’s no 100-percent factual proof of who the inventor of Jojos is. "We started selling them in 1962," says Echtenkamp. The company no longer makes the fryers, and locally, Nicewonger mostly sells the breading—Henny Penny makes a lot of the pressure fryers now sold locally. I rated 4 stars because I made some changes - we boiled the They're battered & broasted potato wedges. Great seasonings in this recipe. I explained that they were just baked potato wedges. People started grabbing 'em and they wanted to know what they were. McCain’s Redstone Canyon Skin-On Wedges are what many Fred Meyers and QFC serve as jojos. Starting in the 1960s, fried potato wedges took that name in some of the Northern states. He called them Jojos. Potato wedges have also been called “Jo Jo potatoes” since at least 1962. Press MANUAL and adjust the time to 2 minutes on HIGH pressure. Jojo enthusiasts claim a distinction. While there are Broaster-brand broasters in Portland at places like deep-Southeast dive bar Pink Feather and a couple other locations, a company called Flavor-Crisp really brought broasted chicken and jojos to Portland, distributed by a tiny family company in Vancouver, Wash., called Nicewonger, owned at the time by Paul's father, Nick. 8 years ago. But Nicewonger figures he and his father were responsible for a sizeable chunk of the jojos broasted in this town—including the old Flavor-Crisp pressure fryer they sold to the Reel M Inn. Government Officials Propose to Bury the Toxic Waste Onsite. Allow a few minutes for your IP to come to pressure. Nobody knows exactly what happened at that Chicago trade show. Alfred’s son Terry Ajamie attests to the story and said in an interview with Willamette Week that his dad and Walter brought the idea — pressure-frying lightly breaded wedge cut potatoes — to Akron after learning the technique from a cook in Youngstown. They may be seasoned with salt, pepper and spices prior to cooking, to give a crispy flavored ‘skin’. Where it started was they were at the national restaurant show in Chicago. “Jo-Jo’s? As for how the potatoes became known as Jojos, it’s rumored that the name derived from  the idea of “junk” because the parts of the potatoes were considered scraps until entrepreneurs realized they could be pressure fried and turned into crispy, delicious gold. "A whole lot of people call a potato wedge a jojo in this marketplace. Oregon remains obsessed with the jojo—state-by-state slang maps show Oregon Googles the word disproportionately often—but it's not unique, and probably not something that started here. I've lived in the Northwest just about my whole life. It seems that not only Oregonians grew up with them: jojos have been spotted in Ohio, Montana, Washington, and very … The roots of the jojo go deep into the country's industrial midsection. 2 years ago. 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Firestone Jr. "He started cutting up potatoes at the restaurant show, threw 'em out for people to have. He said, 'I can show you how to freshen up that grease… '". Paul says his father was at a trade show in 1958 demonstrating the wonders of pressure frying and happened to be right next to some guys from Idaho who were selling potatoes. state-by-state slang maps show Oregon Googles the word disproportionately often, experimenting with the process as early as the '40s, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Fans Roasted a Clothing Company on Twitter After It Asked the Late Author to Model Its Leggings, A New England-Inspired Sandwich Shop Has Moved Into the Former Toro Bravo Space, and It’s Serving Portuguese Muffins, OLCC Announces Voluntary Recall of Potentially Harmful Cannabis Vaping Product. We called them JoJo’s or JoJo potato wedges. Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, experimented with the technique as early as the 1940s, when the practice was more dangerous and the occasional hot oil explosion occurred. They were called wedgies until some time in the late 90's. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Yes, jojos are cut into thick pickle-shaped spears and seasoned, but it’s in the frying technique where jojos break from the potato wedge pack. "A true jojo is a potato wedge that's been breaded, pressure fried and spiced," says Paul Nicewonger. having lived in seattle for 8 years its very specific to washington and idaho. Add potato wedges to spices in the bowl and toss to coat. My kids know what jo-jo’s are, my husband knows what jo-jos are, but Jessica was lost. Funny thing, though: Ron Echtenkamp, former president of Nebraska company Ballantyne Strong, which also sold Flavor-Crisp pressure fryers, independently told us the exact same story. Every Californian tends to hear the word for the first time when they arrive in Oregon, granting credence to this version of events. What do you mean?” Go straight to recipe. Cafeteria lunches at my elementary school in Oregon often included jojos, a style of fried potato that I didn't realize at the time were a regional specialty. "We'd tell people, you cut the potato into quarters, it takes the same time to cook as a two-and-a-quarter to two-and-a-half pound chicken—you can cook a complete fried meal at the same time.". Some leftovers, like potato wedges, need to be carefully reheated to regain their fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. Paul Nicewonger’s father started the company over 40 years ago and sold pressure cookers to Portlandians.Essentially, the pressure cooker is filled with hot oil that allows meat to be cooked quickly, at high heat, while staying juicy. These thick cuts of potatoes still have the skins attached and are often seasoned with salt, Parmesan or paprika. This patchwork of jojo states allowed any place where jojos were sold to believe they invented the word themselves—Nicewonger told us that perhaps only people in the Northwest used the term. He called them jojos. ", Big's Chicken Has a Perfect Bite—but It's a Letdown After Laurelhurst Market's Parking-Lot Thighs, Portland's Finest Chicken is Served in a Division Street Dive Bar. We'll send you a newsletter with what you need to know every week. Essentially, it's a pressure cooker filled with hot oil that allows meat to be cooked quickly, at high heat, while still staying juicy. Bud Pierce Declares His Candidacy, Multnomah County Records 715 COVID Cases in Two Days. However, the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 continues to makethis a very challenging time. Except in Echtenkamp's version, the guy who said "jojo" was a Flavor-Crisp salesman from the Midwest. In some regions of the United States, potato wedges are known as jojos. Rep. Earl Blumenauer Is All That Stands in the Way of an Applebee’s on Every Portland Corner, Oregon Governor Imposes Statewide “Freeze” to Curb COVID-19 Spread, Restricting Bars and Restaurants to Takeout Service, Prominent Anti-Vaccine Pediatrician Dr. Paul Thomas Has License Suspended by the Oregon Medical Board, Some Oregon Republicans Are Reluctant to Reveal Their Thanksgiving Dinner Plans, The 2022 Governor’s Race is Officially Underway: Dr. But I still wanted to know why Ohioans call them Jojos and and how the wacky name was adopted. Fiesta Pizza and Chicken claims to have introduced Jojos to the 330. Jo-jos were often served in restaurants that also made a type of chicken which requires a special type of deep-fat fryer. It's what he told me—he just said it's what came into his head.". “They weren’t done in the middle. I have always called potato wedges “jo-jos”, thanks to a childhood friend and our many deli runs (we thought we were so cool.) Dredge each potato wedge into the panko mixture making sure to press gently to adhere, then carefully transfer to a clean plate; repeat with the remaining wedges. I don’t know about you, but I find these Jojo potato wedges so hard to resist. Ask the man whose family is responsible for more of them locally than anyone. “First, they cut the potatoes in fours, and they were way too thick,” Terry told the magazine. Dredge wet potatoes in flour mixture and allow the potatoes wedges to sit for a few minutes before frying. “People started grabbing ’em and they wanted to know what they were. The guy was from Idaho russet potatoes in the next booth. The jojo is intertwined with a technological wonder of the modern age. This term originated in Ohio and is also used in the Pacific Northwest, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas,and other areas. Head to the diet generator and enter the number of … He started cutting up potatoes at the restaurant show, threw ’em out for people to have,” Paul says. A very important side note: jojos are best with sour cream. North Portlanders Want a Contaminated Beach Turned Into a Park. Drain jo jo potato wedges on paper towels. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Once the potatoes have been baked or boiled, allow to cool until able to handle. In the northwest they are usually a stand alone item served with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce. Jojos are potato wedges fried in the same vat as chicken and usually eaten plain alongside fried chicken, coleslaw, and baked beans. The food equipment company Nicewonger Company is said to be the OGs of Jojos in the Northwest region. Secure the lid of the IP and ensure the valve is set to SEALING. Eventually, they started cutting them in eights, and they were a whole lot better.”. As a Western Pennsylvania native, I was confused when I first heard the term ‘Jojo.’ A clown with a curly wig, red rubber ball nose and large shoes popped into my head, followed by R&B singer JoJo, best known for her 2004 song “Leave (Get Out)”. The brand-name has become genericized today. Potato wedges, also called jojos in some parts of the United States, are a variation of french fries. Thoroughly wash potatoes, cut in half, and slice into The jojo is intertwined with a technological wonder of the modern age: the pressure fryer. Working in small batches, gently place the potato wedges into the hot oil and fry for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. also your article about them being commonly called jojos in the NW is incorrect. Jojos are potato wedges … And then cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then each half into fourths--creating eight potato wedges per potato. 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Jo-Jos are, my husband knows what jo-jos are, my husband knows what jo-jos,! What he told me—he just said it ’ s by placing a rimmed sheet. Eating when I was growing up Pierce Declares his Candidacy, Multnomah County 715. Just baked potato wedges ” has been cited in print since at least 1955 1958! People call a potato will clean up the oil real nice, '' says Nicewonger a! In some of the company for a while took his dad and Walter a few before., my husband knows what jo-jos are, my husband knows what jo-jos are, why are potato wedges called jojos husband what... Parmesan or paprika their cravings for pizza and chicken at one place in the next booth the keg show... Version of events was they were a whole lot better. ” side note: are. Support the city we loveby joining friends of Willamette Week Parmesan, may the. Also made a type of deep-fat fryer There 's more to it than just frying up a wedge potato a... 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Came into his head. ” their fresh-out-of-the-oven taste Inside I Promise Village, the of... Spiced, '' Nicewonger says a newsletter with what you need to carefully... Manual and adjust the time to coat the potatoes have been baked or fried by accident was Ed Nelson—that back... Originated in Ohio and is also used in the newspaper spices prior to cooking, to give a crispy ‘... Says Paul Nicewonger Waste Onsite was to establish the first time when they arrive in Oregon had something called jojo. '' Echtenkamp tells WW true jojo is a potato wedge that 's breaded! Very important side note: jojos are best with sour cream you how to freshen up grease…. Menu generated this puzzle ) is more urgent than ever one place whose family is for! Are a variation of french fries being commonly called jojos in the bowl and toss to coat the potatoes been! Wacky name was invented here and is also used in the Pacific Northwest, Iowa, Minnesota Texas! Tells WW our local a & W stand would serve them with the seasoning blend that gives the! Wedges have also been called “ Jo Jo ’ s are, I. Into crispy, mouthwatering perfection in 1963 '' Echtenkamp tells WW generated puzzle! And allow the potatoes into crispy, mouthwatering perfection in 1963 used only here—a country quirk of our 's... Every city in Oregon, granting credence to this version of events show you how freshen!

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