Chowder facts for kids
A seafood chowder prepared with shrimp and corn
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| Type | Soup or stew |
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| Main ingredients | Seafood or vegetables, often milk or cream |
| Variations | New England clam chowder, seafood chowder, corn chowder, potato chowder |
Chowder is a type of thick soup or stew. It is often made with milk or cream. Sometimes, it is thickened with crushed crackers or a special cooking mix called a roux. Chowders can be made with seafood or vegetables.
Crackers like oyster crackers or saltines are often served with chowder. You can even drop pieces of cracker right into the dish! A very famous type is New England clam chowder. It has chopped clams and diced potatoes in a creamy milk base. Other popular kinds include seafood chowder, corn chowder, and potato chowder. These are especially popular in places like New England and Atlantic Canada.
Some people also talk about Manhattan clam chowder. But this one is different because it uses tomatos instead of milk or cream. So, it's more like a vegetable soup with clams.
The word chowder has an interesting history. It might come from the French word chaudron. This means "cauldron", which is a large cooking pot. Early chowders were probably cooked in these big pots. In some French Caribbean islands, chodier was also a name for a cooking pot.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary describes chowder as "a thick soup or stew made of seafood or corn with potatoes and onions and milk or tomatoes."
Contents
Types of Chowder
Chowder is a creamy or milky soup. It often has ingredients like potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams, or prawns. Some creamy chowders actually use milk and a roux to make them thick, instead of just cream. Chowder can be a real comfort food, especially when it's cold outside!
Bermuda Fish Chowder
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Bermuda has its own special fish chowder. It's considered a national dish there! The main ingredients are fish, tomato, and onion. It's often flavored with black rum and a special Sherry pepper sauce. This dish came to the New World with British colonists.
Clam Chowder
Clam chowder is made with clams, diced potato, onion, and celery. It can be a creamy soup or a clear broth-style soup. There are many kinds of clam chowder:
- New England clam chowder is a creamy soup.
- Manhattan clam chowder is a broth-style soup with tomato, vegetables, and clams.
- Rhode Island clam chowder is a simple broth-style soup.
- Other types include New Jersey, Delaware, Hatteras, and Minorcan clam chowders.
- In Connecticut clam chowder, milk is used instead of cream.
Clam chowder can be made with fresh, steamed clams or canned clams. The liquid from steamed or canned clams can be used in the soup. You can also use fresh or bottled clam juice. Did you know that January 21 is National New England Clam Chowder Day?
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Bottled clam juice being used to make clam chowder
Corn Chowder
Corn chowder is thick, much like New England clam chowder. But instead of clams, it uses corn! Other vegetables like potatoes, celery, and onion can also be added. Some recipes even include bacon. You can make corn chowder with fresh, frozen, or canned corn.
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Roasted corn and potato chowder
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Corn chowder with crab
Fish Chowder
Fish chowder is made with fish like salmon or cod. It's similar to clam chowder in how it's made and how it feels to eat. Ingredients often include potato, onion, celery, carrot, corn, and bacon.
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A bowl of fish chowder with tilapia, red potato, and dill
Southern Illinois Chowder
Southern Illinois Chowder is also called "downtown chowder." It's a very thick soup or stew that is quite different from the chowders found on the coast. Its main ingredients are beef, chicken, tomatoes, cabbage, lima beans, and green beans. It's a hearty dish, meaning it's very filling and satisfying.
Seafood Chowder
Seafood chowder uses different kinds of seafood as its main ingredient. It can be a clear broth-style soup or a creamy one.
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A creamy seafood chowder served with oyster crackers
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A broth-style seafood chowder made with shrimp
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A creamy seafood chowder with scallops and corn
Spiced Haddock Chowder
Spiced haddock chowder is made with haddock fish fillets. It also includes carrot, potato, flour, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard, and other spices. These are cooked in a pot with milk and butter.
Other Types of Chowder
The White Castle restaurant, for example, serves a potato and bacon chowder.
See also
In Spanish: Chowder (sopa) para niños
