Clam Chowder

Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine built around clams, commonly combined with diced potatoes, salt pork and onions and served with saltine or oyster crackers. It originated in the Northeastern United States, specifically New England, during the eighteenth century, later spreading to restaurant menus across the country, with clams favored partly for how easily they could be harvested. Three regional styles dominate today: the cream-based New England style, the tomato-based Manhattan style, and the clear-broth Rhode Island style made without cream or tomatoes, though early versions of the soup contained no milk at all and instead used crackers or stale bread to thicken the broth as it cooked.