New Yorker’s insist on tomatoes in their chowder and call it Manhattan clam chowder. Cookbook writer and chef James Beard (1903-1985) described Manhattan clam chowder as:
“. . . that rather horrendous soup called Manhattan clam chowder. . . resembles a vegetable soup soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it.”
Connecticut chowder seems to be yet another version of the Manhattan-style clam chowder, made with tomatoes in place of milk.
Introduction of the Tomato – Tomato-based clam chowders came about with the new-found popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s and the large population of Italians in New York and the Portuguese fishing communities of Rhode Island. By the 1930s, this tomato version had come to be called Manhattan clam chowder. Learn about Tomato Hints, Tips, and Information.
Sign Up for our Newsletter
What’s Cooking America is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products which are identified on this web site with green text.
Manhattan Clam Chowder – Better than New England? – Food Wishes
Where did clam chowder come from?
Though it’s named after New England and associated most with Massachusetts and Maine, food historians believe that French or Nova Scotian settlers introduced the soup to the area. New England clam chowder, occasionally called “Boston Clam Chowder,” is made with the usual clams and potatoes, but it also has a milk or cream base.
What is Manhattan clam chowder?
Manhattan clam chowder is most often recognized by its red color, coming from the use of tomatoes and tomato paste. The broth is much thinner than the thick New England version and while it also includes potatoes, most Manhattan-style chowders boast a variety of vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for added flavor.
What is New England clam chowder?
It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is ‘Yankee Doodle in a kettle.’ New England clam chowder is defined as “a thick chowder made from clams, potatoes, onions, sometimes salt pork, and milk or cream.” The recipe usually calls for heavy cream, light cream, or whole milk as the base for the soup.
When did clam chowder become popular?
The soup continued to gain popularity throughout the years and, according to What’s Cooking America, was being served in Boston at Ye Olde Union Oyster House (the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the country) by 1836. Clam chowder was so popular that its mollusk-packed flavor is described in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick: