Clam dip facts for kids
Chunky clam dip with various foods for dipping
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| Type | Dip, snack food | ||||||
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| Course | Sometimes served as an appetizer | ||||||
| Place of origin | United States | ||||||
| Serving temperature | Usually chilled, sometimes served hot or at room temperature | ||||||
| Main ingredients | sour cream and/or cream cheese, chopped or minced clams, various seasonings | ||||||
| Ingredients generally used | Lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce | ||||||
| 71 kcal (297 kJ) | |||||||
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| Other information | – Hot clam dip can include melted cheese – Nutrition information source: |
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Clam dip is a tasty dip and condiment. It is made with clams, sour cream or cream cheese, and different seasonings. People usually serve it chilled. But sometimes, you can have it hot or at room temperature.
You can use clam dip with many snacks. It is great with potato chips, crackers, bread, and crudités (which are raw veggies). You can also find clam dip already made in grocery stores. Many companies make it for people to buy.
The Story of Clam Dip
Clam dip became famous in the United States in the early 1950s. The very first TV recipe for clam dip was shown on a popular show called Kraft Music Hall. This show was on TV and radio for many years.
After the recipe was shown, something amazing happened! All the canned clams in New York City sold out in just one day. The recipe used simple things like minced canned clams, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Clam dip stayed very popular through the 1960s and 1970s. You could even buy ready-made clam dips in supermarkets. Later, in the 1980s and 1990s, other dips like tomato salsas became more popular. Because of this, clam dip and similar creamy dips were not as popular as before.
How to Make Clam Dip
Clam dip is usually made with chopped or minced clams. It also has sour cream or cream cheese and different seasonings. Most of the time, it is served cold. It is a great dip for potato chips, bread, crackers, and raw vegetables. Clam dip has a smooth and creamy feel when you eat it.
You can use different kinds of clams. These include canned, cooked, frozen, or fresh clams. If you use fresh clams, you can steam or pan-cook them. For canned clams, you can drain the liquid or keep it. The liquid can help make the dip thinner if it gets too thick after being in the fridge. Sometimes, milk or cream is also used to thin the dip.
If you let the dip sit in the fridge overnight, the flavors mix together even better. This makes the dip taste even more delicious! Some people use smoked clams. This gives the dip a special smoky taste. You can smoke the clams in their shells and then chop them up.
You can add many other things to clam dip. Some common additions are lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, onion, scallions, shallots, chives, garlic, and pepper sauce. You can mix all the ingredients using a food processor.
Sometimes, clam dip is served hot. You can keep it warm in a chafing dish. Hot clam dip can even have melted cheese in it! It can also be served at room temperature. A fun way to serve clam dip is inside a hollowed-out loaf of bread, like sourdough.
You can make your clam dip look nice with garnishes. These include parsley, scallions, or paprika. For dipping, you can use colorful vegetables like red peppers, carrots, radishes, and cauliflower. If you make a lot of clam dip, you can store it in the freezer to keep it fresh.
Clam Dip in Stores
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Many companies mass-produce clam dip. This means they make large amounts of it. They sell these ready-made dips in grocery stores and supermarkets. These dips usually come in plastic tubs.
You can also find clam dip mixes in stores. These mixes let you make clam dip at home. One type of mix comes with dried sour cream. You just add water to it to make the dip.
Nutrition Facts
A single tablespoon of clam dip has about 71 calories. It contains 1 gram of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, and 5 grams of total fat. About 3 grams of that fat is saturated fat. It also has 25 milligrams of cholesterol and 136 milligrams of sodium. This information is based on the recipe shown on the Kraft Music Hall show in the 1950s.
See also
In Spanish: Salsa de almejas para niños
