When is National Clam Chowder Day?
National Clam Chowder Day occurs on February 25th.
What is National Clam Chowder Day?
Americans love clam chowder. It’s in the top five soups served in the U.S—if not number one, depending on who you ask. In fact, we love it so much that we gave it a day, National Clam Chowder Day.
The name gives it away: clam chowder is a seafood soup. It contains clams, though sometimes you’ll find fish in it too. Onions, potatoes, cream, and bacon frequently make it into the chowder, with the onions sautéed in the bacon drippings. Using broth in place of water thickens the chowder and gives more depth to the flavor.
The first written record of adding clams to a chowder recipe appeared in 1832. Since then, a myriad of recipes have cropped up along both coasts. The New England and Manhattan chowders are perhaps the most well-known, but plenty of others have national popularity.
Fun facts about National Clam Chowder Day!
- There are more than 15,000 species of clams, but only 150 are edible.
- Manhattan clam chowder contains tomatoes. New England clam chowder enthusiasts vehemently oppose this practice.
- Cleveland Sleeper, a legislator for the state of Maine, started a small chowder war in 1939 by drafting fake legislation to ban tomatoes from clam chowder.
- Clams catch plankton for food in a process that purifies the water by filtering pollutants and pathogens.
How to celebrate National Clam Chowder Day:
Get the family together for a clam chowder dinner. Garnish with a bay leaf, and serve it in sourdough bowls or with oyster crackers.
What’s the hashtag for National Clam Chowder Day?
Use #NationalClamChowderDay on social media to celebrate this tasty soup.