Clam chowder, how can something that seems so innocent and simple cause so much debate? These debates are over every aspect of chowder and it has caused me to wonder, what is the big deal over clam chowder? People have said that a good clam chowder needs to be thick and stick to your ribs as it goes down; others say that it needs to be smooth and creamy and slide on down to your stomach. Then, people say that red clam chowder is better than white, but then some say white it the more traditional way to go. Finally, who makes the best clam chowder? Is it the east coast or west coast? Bring up the subject to anyone and I am sure that a long debate will ensue over which clam chowder is the true, authentic chowder. The true chowder lovers take much enjoyment in their quest to find the perfect chowder, from creamy to clear and white to tomato based. It seems that wherever you go to find clam chowder everyone claims their chowder is “award-winning."



Chowder has its roots in the Latin word calderia, which originally meant a place for warming things, and later came to mean cooking pot. The word calderia also gave us cauldron, and in French became chaudiere. It is also thought to come from the old English word jowter (a fish peddler). It was also originally thought of as the poor man's dish. But as time has gone by the popularity of chowder has gone up and it has become an American classic mentioned in books, movies, etc. Herman Melville, an American novelist, devoted a chapter about chowder in his book Moby Dick. He wrote of the Try Pots, a chowder house in Nantucket, Mass., which served only clam chowder and he went on to describe the magic of a good bowl of clam chowder.

Joseph C. Lincoln author of 47 books and plays about Cape Cod wrote about New England clam chowder:

“A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought for--or on--clam chowder; part of it at least, I am sure it was. It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is Yankee Doodle in a kettle.”

It seems that when finding that perfect chowder, New England chowder comes to mind. And where to find that perfect New England chowder? Massachusetts. Whenever there is a chowderfest it seems that Massachusetts is always the winner and the top three places (in no particular order) seems to be Cape Cod, Nantucket and Boston.

On the west coast it seems that the creamier the better and in every clam chowder milk or cream is the key ingredient. In the debate of whether chowder should be thick or creamy west coasters tend to go for the more creamy option. It seems that Seattle is one of the top places on the west coast to have some delectable chowder. Other sea side places in California and Oregon show up, but Seattle seems to take the west coast cake or chowder in the debate over the best clam chowder in the west.

Until I started asking people where I should go for a good bowl of clam chowder I never realized how much controversy that a seemingly innocent bowl of soup could cause. I think that the main reason why is that it is a classic food, but then what defines a classic and what is the true authentic chowder? For me personally, I am a New England chowder girl. And I feel that it needs to be white and thick and of course, in a bread bowl. However, I just always saw it as chowder and nothing more. However, the more that I learned, the more I realized that chowder is a big deal because all chowders are not created equal. The trick is finding that perfect bowl of clam chowder that will make you sing.