# Clam Chowda! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287 "2011-02-05T16:14:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/1 "2011-02-05T16:14:58Z")
What’s your style? All the ones I could find (though I’ll admit I’ve only ever had the first 2): New England: the classic white Manhattan: the classic red Rhode Island: the clear Delaware: NE w/salt pork Outer Banks: clear w/bacon Minorcan: red w/datil pepper Long Island: creamy red Northwestern: white w/smoked salmon Poll coming… ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/2 "2011-02-05T16:16:41Z")
I’ve only ever had the New England type, but some of those others sound nummy! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/3 "2011-02-05T16:28:11Z")
I’m an avid proponent of the classic New England clam chowder. I don’t like it being fancied up with any extra shit. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/4 "2011-02-05T16:38:29Z")
Gotta go with NE style. If you ever find yourself in Bodega Bay, you have to try the chowder at Spud Point Crab Company. The best I’ve had in California. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/5 "2011-02-05T16:42:34Z")
Yeah, I’ve only ever had the first two (and I prefer New England), but some of the others sound great. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/6 "2011-02-05T16:53:14Z")
Oh, shoot. I voted New England, but I guess I should have voted Delaware. I thought New England clam chowder was traditionally made on salt pork, no? That’s how I make it. Does that mean I’m making Delaware chowder then? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/7 "2011-02-05T16:56:33Z")
Reading the description on Wikipedia (I seem to be unable to find a recipe online), Delaware chowder is made with cubes of salt pork, while NE clam chowder has finely diced salt pork. Is this the distinction? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/8 "2011-02-05T17:02:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Reading the description on Wikipedia (I seem to be unable to find a recipe online), Delaware chowder is made with cubes of salt pork, while NE clam chowder has finely diced salt pork. Is this the distinction? I don’t know. That Wikipedia article is where I got my info from, and almost all other info I found on the web regarding it reads verbatim. I was originally just going to do NE vs Manhattan but I wanted to be as complete as possible. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/9 "2011-02-05T18:05:16Z")
Good Manhattan clam chowder is a gift from the gods. But it can vary (canned Manhattan is mediocre). New England is dependable – good whether it’s fresh or from a can. But it never reaches the epitome of soupdom that a top-notch Manhattan can. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/10 "2011-02-05T18:08:21Z")
I prefer the Manhattan kind with oyster crackers floating on top. Nathan’s used to have very good Manhattan clam chowder on the menu but I haven’t seen it there in years. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/11 "2011-02-05T19:36:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > New England is dependable – good whether it’s fresh or from a can. But it never reaches the epitome of soupdom that a top-notch Manhattan can. It’s not soup, it’s chowder. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/12 "2011-02-05T20:16:17Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > It’s not soup, it’s chowder. Shou-_dere._ ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/13 "2011-02-05T20:28:55Z")
> [@smapti](#): > > shou-_dere._ chowdah! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/14 "2011-02-05T20:50:50Z")
The now closed Leschi Cafe in Seattle used to serve a white, potato-free, geoduck chowder that was the best I’ve ever had… ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/15 "2011-02-05T20:57:25Z")
Northwestern and Delaware sound fabulous! ---
**Author:** ![Mnemonic\_Vice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mnemonic\_Vice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemonic_Vice)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/16 "2011-02-05T21:09:08Z")
As a New England native, I have never been able to fully wrap myself around the idea of Manhattan-style chowders. New York City pizza blows away most of New England (with the possible exception of New Haven), but they aren’t even in the same ballpark for chowdas…) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/17 "2011-02-05T21:19:25Z")
I voted for all of the ones that sounded good, even though I’ve never had them. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/18 "2011-02-05T23:42:39Z")
New England, of course. The best clam chowder I’ve ever had was in a seafood restaurant in New Hampshire. It was very thick and they didn’t cheap out on the clams at all. Yum… I’ve never had anything that good ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/19 "2011-02-05T23:44:36Z")
I don’t see why “Delaware” clam chowder is any different from New England. So they do something somewhat different with salt pork. Seems like an affectation to me. That’s why I voted for both. They seem equivalent. _shakes head_ Silly. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287/20 "2011-02-06T01:58:46Z")
_Prepares to be yelled at_ I prefer New England style but with cheese. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowda/570287.md?page=2)