Fifth Grade
Worksheets
The Great Clam Chowder Fight
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, tonight we will all take part in the great clam chowder fight. Usually, we have only two fighters in the ring. Tonight we have four.
In the first corner we have New England clam chowder. New England has been around for a long time. It has fought well against tomatoes. In 1939, New England clam chowder won by a knockout. The Maine legislature heard a bill making tomatoes illegal in clam chowder. To this day, New England clam chowder is made with clams, milk or cream, potatoes, onions, bacon or salt pork, and flour. There is not even a little bit of tomato in it.
In the second corner we have Manhattan clam chowder. It is very much like New England clam chowder. The difference is huge, though. Manhattan clam chowder has tomatoes in it! It is believed that Portuguese people moving to the United States put tomatoes in the clam chowder. Many Portuguese dishes are made with tomatoes. People in Maine called the red chowder Manhattan clam chowder. They thought calling someone a New Yorker was an insult. The fight was on!
