Clam chowder is any of severalchowder soups inAmerican cuisine containingclams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ease of harvesting them.^[3] Clam chowder is usually served withsaltine crackers or small, hexagonaloyster crackers.

Clam chowder

New England clam chowder
Type	Chowder
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	New England
Invented	18th century[1][2]
Main ingredients	Clams, potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Cream or tomatoes may be added.
Variations	New England clam chowder, Manhattan clam chowder, Rhode Island clam chowder, others
Cookbook: New England Clam Chowder  Media: Clam chowder

The dish originated in the Northeastern United States, but is now commonly served in restaurants throughout the country. Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.^[4]

Early documentation of "clam chowder" as known today did not contain milk and was thickened during cooking using crackers or stale bread.^[5] The first recipe for Manhattan clam chowder, with tomatoes and no milk, was published before 1919,^[6] and the current name was attested in 1934.

As recipes for clam chowder spread throughout the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, many regionally developed variants have arisen.

Manhattan clam chowder has a red, tomato-based broth and unlike New England clam chowder there is no milk or cream. Manhattan-style chowder also usually contains other vegetables, such as celery and carrots to create amirepoix.^[7] Thyme is often used as a seasoning.

Many sources attribute its creation to Rhode Island's Portuguese fishing communities who were known both for their traditional tomato-based stews and for their frequent travels to New York City'sFulton Fish Market during the mid-1800s.^[8] WhileRhode Island clam chowder is clear, it was relatively common in Rhode Island for some cooks to add tomato sauce to their chowder. In Rhode Island this style chowder is also frequently referred to as "Rocky Point Clam Chowder"^[9] as it was a popular menu item at theRocky Point Amusement Park Shore Dinner Hall since the park opened in 1847.^[10]

This chowder was at times called by various names including "Clam Chowder – Coney Island Style" (1893).^[11] Manhattan clam chowder is included in Victor Hirtzler'sHotel St. Francis Cookbook (1919) and "The Delmonico Cook Book" (1890) as "clam chowder".^[6][12] The "Manhattan" name is first attested in a 1934 cookbook.^[1]

New England clam chowder, occasionally referred to as Boston or Boston-style clam chowder,^[13] is a milk- or cream-based chowder, and is often of a thicker consistency than other regional styles. It is commonly made with milk, butter, potatoes, salt pork, onion, and clams.^[14] Flour or, historically, crushedhard tack may be added as a thickener.

New England clam chowder is usually accompanied byoyster crackers. Crackers may be crushed and mixed into the soup for thickener, or used as a garnish.^[15]

Rhode Island clam chowder is made with clear broth, and contains no dairy or tomatoes. It is common in southeastern Rhode Island through easternConnecticut.^[7] In Rhode Island, it is sometimes called "South County Style" referring toWashington County, where it apparently originated.

Long Island clam chowder is part New England–style and part Manhattan-style, making it a pinkish creamy tomato clam chowder. The name is intended as humorous:Long Island is between Manhattan and New England.^[16] The two parent chowders are typically cooked separately before being poured in the same bowl. This variant is popular in many small restaurants acrossSuffolk County, New York.^[17]

Served throughoutNorth Carolina'sOuter Banks region, this simple variation of clam chowder has clear broth, bacon, potatoes, and onions. It is usually seasoned with generous amounts of black pepper.^[18][19]

Minorcan clam chowder is a spicy traditional version found in restaurants in northeastern Florida, particularly inSt. Augustine. It has a tomato broth base, and includes Spanishdatil pepper, an extremely hotchili comparable to thehabanero.^[20]

• The New England Chowder Compendium