# Clam Chowder **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311 "2013-08-27T16:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/81 "2013-08-29T02:15:47Z")
There is only one Clam Chowdah, New England clam chowder Manhattan is an Abomonation unto Nuggan ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/82 "2013-08-29T02:41:05Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Rhode Island. It is the essence of the sea. > > Gotta make it yourself tho. Here’s a recipe. > > 18-20 quahogs > 1/2 pound salt pork > 3 big yellow onions > 3-5 lbs potatoes (depends on how many you like) > salt and pepper > > Shuck the quahogs. There are no substitutes. Save the juice. Put juice in soup pot. Simmer and skim all the scum off. Render the salt pork in a big cast iron skillet. Saute the onions in the fat until clear. Chop quahogs and cook briefly. Put into pot with clam juice. Add potatoes and cover with 2 inches of water. Simmer until potatoes are done. Season with salt and pepper. Won’t need too much salt. > > Now here’s the hard part. Let it cool, put it in the fridge and don’t touch it until the next day. Good luck! Good lord, you add the clams with the potatoes? You must be chewing on rubber bands in your chowder. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/83 "2013-08-29T17:45:50Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > No, in New England “tri-state area” means MA/CT/RI, all of which are New England states. And ME, VT and NH are “Northern New England” and VT and NH are the “twin states”. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/84 "2013-08-29T18:39:11Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > No, in New England “tri-state area” means MA/CT/RI, all of which are New England states. That’s funny. I’d never given much thought to which states the talking heads on the TV box meant when they mentioned the tri-state area. If I’d had to guess I would have gone with MA, RI and NH, since Manchester, Nashua and Providence are the closest non-mass “real cities” to Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/85 "2013-08-29T20:25:49Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Manhattan is an Abomonation unto Nuggan That may be true, but it’s chowder is divine. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/86 "2013-08-30T01:39:18Z")
Funny, every time I read tri-state area in this thread, I hear it in the voice of Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz… And in all caps… Behold! The TRI-STATE AREA!!.. Inator ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/87 "2013-08-30T05:13:57Z")
I chose New England but I would say Rhode Island would be my second choice. That Manhattan, tomato stuff is simply an affront to all that is good and holy about Clam Chowder. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/88 "2013-08-30T05:25:44Z")
I always thought of New York state as being part of New England, I guess because I have never been thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/89 "2013-08-30T23:15:57Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I chose New England but I would say Rhode Island would be my second choice. > > That Manhattan, tomato stuff is simply an affront to all that is good and holy about Clam Chowder. I actually don’t mind Manhattan Clam Chowder that much. It just seems that it came about after some fish-house cook tried to make [cioppino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino) but could only find a few clams and still served it. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/90 "2013-08-31T20:52:48Z")
> [@For You](#): > > I always thought of New York state as being part of New England, I guess because I have never been thereabouts. Just don’t let anyone in Northern New England hear you say that, them’s fightin’ words… It’s bad enough we have to deal with Massachusetts, don’t try to foist Noo Yawk on us as well, you can keep Bloomie, Cuomo and their minions all to yourself, they’re not welcome here. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/91 "2013-09-01T03:29:46Z")
I am ok with Manhattan, but prefer N.E. However, that said, the worst chowdah I ever had was on the Cape-it was the consistency of paste; seriously, the spoon stood upright in it. No thank you. I want celery, lite on the potatoes and tons of big clams. Don’t forget to toss in the clam juice. When I resort to Campbells, I always include a can of chopped clams, and the juice. Then I take out half the potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/92 "2013-09-01T03:29:56Z")
New England Chowder is like Cream of Clam soup. Manhattan Chowder is like New Orleans Gumbo with clams. No real preference here but, “Clam Chowder” is NE for the win. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/93 "2013-09-01T03:49:52Z")
My ancestry and tastebuds decree the winner to be New England clam chowder, not thick. Celery is forbidden. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/94 "2013-09-01T04:41:18Z")
New England Clam chowder is comfort food like mac and cheese. The sophistimacated clam chowder is Manhattan. mmmmmmmm. The whole house smells good when cooking it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/95 "2013-09-01T05:03:28Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > If it’s not New England creamy type clam chowder, then it’s not clam chowder. It’s soup. True. :dubious: OTOH, there are many such superior soup recipes. Pick one, and stand ready to die for it like an American! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/96 "2013-09-01T06:50:10Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I am ok with Manhattan, but prefer N.E. However, that said, the worst chowdah I ever had was on the Cape-it was the consistency of paste; seriously, the spoon stood upright in it. No thank you. I want celery, lite on the potatoes and tons of big clams. Don’t forget to toss in the clam juice. When I resort to Campbells, I always include a can of chopped clams, and the juice. Then I take out half the potatoes. If the clam chowder was that thick than it would be a clam _stew_. There’s nothing wrong with clam stew (in fact, it sounds pretty tasty to me). However, it’s not really chowder. And I have to strongly disagree with you on potatoes in chowder. I hate celery so I won’t miss it if it’s not there. Potatoes are a different story. You need something like potatoes in chowder so they will absorb the flavors of the broth and the clams and add a bit of flavor of their own. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/97 "2013-09-01T14:24:44Z")
The stuff we had in a place in Eureka had no potatoes at all, instead, mushrooms. And little shrimps. Not sure if it is actually still clam chowder when you shrimp it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/98 "2013-09-01T14:30:36Z")
Definitely the tomato-based ones, whether Manhattan or Rhode Island. I could live off those. I find the cream-based ones to be bland and way too heavy. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/99 "2013-09-01T14:50:01Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > If the clam chowder was that thick than it would be a clam _stew_. There’s nothing wrong with clam stew (in fact, it sounds pretty tasty to me). However, it’s not really chowder. > > And I have to strongly disagree with you on potatoes in chowder. I hate celery so I won’t miss it if it’s not there. Potatoes are a different story. You need something like potatoes in chowder so they will absorb the flavors of the broth and the clams and add a bit of flavor of their own. Yeah, that pasty type of chowder is what I hate, and I’ve seen a lot of places over-starch their chowder. I wouldn’t call it a stew, though. To me, a stew has a lot less liquid and it’s also a long, slow cooked type of thing. Chowder is a subset of soup to me, and thick chowder is like other overly thick cream-of-whatever soups. When we were kids, we loved those thick soups that had the consistency of spackle. Now, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311/100 "2013-09-01T14:58:12Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Definitely the tomato-based ones, whether Manhattan or Rhode Island. I could live off those. I find the cream-based ones to be bland and way too heavy. Rhode Island is not tomato-based and has no tomatoes in it at all. It’s not cream-based like NE. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clam-chowder/667311.md?page=6)