RICHMOND, Va. — Monday (February 25) is National Clam Chowder Day. So what does that mean to you?
SO MANY THINGS:
What is clam chowder? The actual origins of what a chowder is and how it’s made are murky (not unlike the stew or soup itself). Some say the stewy dish started in the French Caribbean, others says it’s British. The only thing anyone can agree on, it seems, is that it’s served hot.
A recipe from 1894 in New York has pork, clams, potato, and tomato. A 1939 bill was introduced to Maine legislature to attempt to make tomato in chowder illegal. The list of discrepancies is long.
Even the name has multiple variations as chowder evolved regionally:
* New England clam chowder -potato, cream, clam
* Manhattan clam chowder – tomato, clam
* Boston clam chowder – cream, bacon, clam
* Rhode Island clam chowder – clam, bacon, clear broth
* New Jersey clam chowder – tomato and old bay
* Hatteras clam chowder – celery, carrots, onion and clam juice
* Long Island clam chowder – cream, potato
* Florida clam chowder- potatoes, hot peppers, tomato
* Maine clam chowder – cream, clam
(this list is far from exhaustive)
You’re in luck though. All of the The Boathouse locations will have New England Clam Chowder from chef Robert Nelson with some good cause behind the good chowder with proceeds going to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1997139267254469
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Eat It, Virginia! with Scott and Robey is a podcast driven by food. We discuss Richmond restaurants and food events, answer your most pressing food-related questions, and share listener-submitted dining suggestions. Email the show here. Connect with the show on Instagram and Twitter. Episodes drop every other Monday. Find us in your favorite podcast app and be sure to subscribe!
