January 20, 2009

Food historians cannot exactly pinpoint how tomato-based chowder became known as "Manhattan"-style. It is likely, however, that the regional origin of both white and red varieties of clam chowder is New England. The addition of tomatoes in place of milk probably started in the mid 1800s within the Portuguese immigrant fishing communities of Rhode Island. Common thought is that traditional New Englanders referred derisively to this version as Manhattan-style as a double-edged put-down of their big city rival.

In the 1890s, the head chef at the famous Delmonico's restaurant in New York served a tomato-based chowder and documented the recipe in a cookbook, which is another theory to help explain the origin of the Manhattan name. Nevertheless, it wasn't until the mid-1930s that the name actually appeared in print. The rivalry between red and white versions of the hearty staple apparently reached its zenith also in the 1930s, with an assemblyman in the Maine legislature introducing a bill to outlaw the addition of tomatoes to chowder. Mercifully, this law did not pass.

The Fish Market has no argument on either side, as we have featured both white (New England) and red (Manhattan) clam chowders right next to each other in the pots and on the menu for 30 years. Although less well known than the New England variety, our made-from-scratch Manhattan Clam Chowder is the zesty, peppery alternative, and like the white version, made with the highest-quality, all natural pack surf clam. This flavorful, but tender clam is harvested from the healthy Atlantic clam fisheries from Long Island to Virginia, and is considered the elite clam for chowder recipes. History aside, we're sure you would consider a steaming cup of Manhattan a worthy rival.