I'm not from Maine and have not eaten the Camden Deli's chowder, but I can tell you that traditional clam chowders are thin, like the one you describe. And traditional chowders contain only clams (called quahogs here), onion, potato, milk, cream and salt pork or bacon. Salt pork is more traditional than bacon,I believe. The only seasoning is pepper, since the juice of the clams provides enough salt. Less traditional recipes add thickening, sometimes a lot of thickening, vegetables such as celery, and sometimes some herbs. The traditional style is pretty standard, the others are variable. There seem to be fewer and fewer cooks who make it the tradional way. I guess they are dying off. You may have found one of the last hold-outs there in Camden Maine.

I also would not expect it to have lime. I don't know what would be in it that would taste anything like lime. Could it possibly have anything to do with salt pork. That doesn't seem reasonable, but it's an ingredient not used in many of the other chowders you have tasted. I'm curious to know.

Jim

Well all be darned Jim, I learn something new every single day! On our recent road trip to New England I kept seeing signs for Quahogs and wondered what they were....never had the nerve to try anything with such a strange sounding name! LOL

So why isn't clam chowder called quahog chowder...or is it ?

Chase,

It's an Indian word and you say CO-hog. Wampum beads were made from quahog shells. The shells are predominately white but some of them have a patch of deep purple along the edge. So the purple wampum was scarcer and more valuable.

"So why isn't clam chowder called quahog chowder...or is it ?"

As a matter of fact, clam chowder often IS referred to as quahog chowder by the locals. I think restaurants stick with clam chowder so as not to confuse visitors. But it's OK to say clam chowder even if you're a local. Quahogs are classified by size. The small ones are littlenecks, the next larger ones are cherrystones and the really big ones are chowders.

The reason we have a special name for hard shell clams is to distinguish them from another clam which is common here. Those are soft shell clams, which are called steamers here. They are eaten steamed, served with a cup of their broth and melted butter for dipping. They are also the clam used for making whole belly fried clams. If you just say clams, it sometimes isn't clear whether you mean quahogs or steamers.

Is that more than you wanted to know? There is lots more. LOL!

Jim

I'd like to add another New England chowder to Jim's excellent descriptions. The Rhode Island Chowder. No milk. It's a clear broth. The essentials are quahogs, potatoes, & onions. Other ingredients such as salt pork or bacon may, or may not, be added. Arguments over how the clams are prepared (minced, chopped, etc.) and the size of the potatoes are hotly debated. I think I'd rather put on a Yankee's hat than put herbs in a pot of RI clam chowder. (grin) I really enjoy RI chowder. The flavor of the star of the show, the quahog, shines through. The broth is briny & I think it's especially good in a mug in front of a fire. We live on the CT/RI line so we get both types of chowders.

Chase, did you get my email?

/tricia

No Jim that is great info...especially the information with regards to soft and hard shell. I often saw "steamers" advertised too and wasn't sure what that meant.

The really good thing about my new found knowledge is that now I have to go back and try them all!

I have visited just about every State in the US and I have to say that if I ever moved to the US Maine would be my choice. I fell in love!

Hey Sharon - I am just waiting for the kids to finish school before we move back up there. I miss it so much....
Glad you ahd a fantastic time :-)

Alexa

tricia, no I didn't. Was it recent? Have to tell you even though I lost my heart in Maine, Mystic was lovely! We really enjoyed the seaport, what a treasure, had a great ice cream cone, I mean really great, in the village and a lovely meal in a restaurant right beside the lift bridge, name escapes me.

You town is beautiful and the bay is gorgeous. I know why you love it so much.

Tricia,

That's interesting. I keep getting surprised by the regional food specialties of Little Rhody. I think I need to do some exploring there. For a place so close it really is different.

Sharon,

You've met wine bores, right? Well, I know I'm a clam bore, so I try to restrain myself. But here is info on the third commonly eaten clam in this area, the sea clam or surf clam. it's a large hard shelled clam usually harvested by draggers (fishing vessels) although I have gathered them myself. On a fried seafood menu you will see it as "clam strips". It is the cheapest fried shellfish on the menu, whereas belly clams are the most expensive. Most seafood fanciers disdain clam strips and crave the belly clams. However, there are those who find the bellies icky and like the strips.

When I moved to Cape Cod I was curious about where Cape Codders went for a vacation, since they lived year 'round in beautiful vacation resort area. I found that 9 times out of 10 they went to Maine. But, before you move to Maine, maybe you should spend a winter there. ;-)

Jim

Oops! i almost forgot an important factoid about sea clams. When you buy canned minced or chopped clams, you are getting sea clams. Canned clams are a good product for many uses.

Jim

I make a lot of chowder in the summer. I start by clamming for quohogs. If I am making chowder, I'll keep the big ones that I find (usually I toss them back because when served whole, they become "clam gum").
I shuck the clams while reserving the juice for the chowder. The liquid looks and tastes nothing like the bottled clam juice you find in stores. More beer colored than watery and very clammy. We call it clam liquoer.
I do put in salt pork, celery and potatoes and lots of chopped clams. A splash of cream finishes it and when served, I add a pat of butter to each steaming bowl of soup. Mine is very "fishy", brothy and thin, but in my part of CT, that is what we prefer. The thick chowder is okay, but kind of tasteless, imo.

Oh, and just for fun information, clamming for quohogs is quite simple. I walk out barefoot into the Sound at low tide and reach down to pick up the clams. They are easy to find, they feel like a smooth headstone. Steamers are much more work. They bury in the sand in rockier areas. But steamers are delicious and I understand why they are so expensive.

Jo

I don't know what that special something might be in the chowder mudlady. All the chowders I've had have been pretty much as described. Just a guess, maybe a little lemon basil? Was there any green leaves in the chowder?

I lived in Machias, Maine (county seat and the largest producer of blueberries in the world) for a while. Loved all the great seafood there. Lobsters right off the dock and then in the pot. Heaven!

I also like Manhattan clam chowder. I used to get a very good one at a restaurant(the name eludes me) in of all places Miami! Tomato based and very good.

And yes, the winters can be brutal! Remember The Shining?

Good clam info Jim and Jo.

Di

Jim, I'm a Canadian! I know form winters! LOL Here is a pic of my cottage in the winter and as I recall this was in December!

BTW we also spent several days on Cape Cod and I found it lovley. Chatham is a town I could move to in a heartbeat! Loved Provincetown, very eclectic! We had some great food in Hyannis and also at a little restaurant just east of Hyannis, the name escapes me but the food was very good!

Also have to say that,we have a hard time finding a decent cup of coffee in the States, honestly worst coffee in the world IMHO, but we did find a great little coffee shop in East Yarmouth that made the best darned coffee and drop dead corn muffins. Other than this place McDonalds , believe it or not, was the most acceptable coffee fix the whole time we were away!

Wow! I never said clam chowder because the Camden Deli makes a seafood chowder. I don't know if there are any clams in it--clams are chewy and I have not noticed any. Chowder made with only clams is more fishy tasting than I get in Camden. I notice potatoes and maybe tiny pieces of onion, but I can't say that I find any celery. It is the flavor of the broth that is intriguing to me. The base is milky and there is no trace of tomato. I sometimes think I taste a little mustard and last week I thought it might be lime. I really have no idea what I am tasting. I grew up on Long Island Sound in CT and all we ever ate was Manhatan style clam chowder. I don't remember when I decided to try New England style, but ever since the first taste, no tomato has ever had a place in my chowder. There is a restaurant, The Spot, in Binghamton, NY and I love their moussaka. That also had a flavor I liked, but couldn't identify until finally one waitress whispered to me that it was nutmeg. The employees of the Camden Deli refuse to tell me anything. Oh--they also make great sandwiches, salads, and baked goods and serve Green Mountain coffee.

mudlady... you might give this a try. Jasper White makes the best chowder I have ever tasted and following this method it is easily reproduced at home.

NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER by Jasper White

To me, this is the most authentic and most important recipe in this book. It is the gold standard for chowder: a hearty main course with deep flavors, luxurious texture, and generous chunks of fish, onion, and potato. New England Fish Chowder is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and doesn’2equire you to be fussy or exact. After making this chowder a few times, you will begin to understand the Zen of chowder.

4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions (14 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 to 8 sprigs fresh summer savory or thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 tablespoon)
2 dried bay leaves
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/3-inch thick
5 cups Strong Fish Stock, Traditional Fish Stock, Chicken Stock, or water (as a last resort)
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds skinless haddock or cod fillets, preferably over 1 inch thick, pinbones removed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or up to 2 cups if desired)
For garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is a crisp golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.

2. Add the butter, onions, savory or thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onions and softened but not browned.

3. Add the potatoes and stock. If the stock doesn’#over the potatoes, add just enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the stock hasn’4hickened lightly, smash a few of the potato slices against the side of the pot and cook for a minute or two longer to release their starch. Reduce the heat to low and season assertively with salt and pepper (you want to almost overseason the chowder at this point to avoid having to stir it much once the fish is added). Add the fish fillets and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time).

4. Gently stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld.

5. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’,et it boil. Warm the cracklings in a low oven (200 °F) for a few minutes.

6. Use a slotted spoon to mound the chunks of fish, the onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, and ladle the creamy broth around. Scatter the cracklings over the individual servings and finish each with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and minced chives.

Sharon,

Here's where you had your dinner & ice cream. The restaurant is the S&P Oyster House (the right of the picture just picks up their front gardens) & the Drawbridge Ice Cream is seen here right across the river.

I emailed you thru GW & gave you our phone number. I had been hoping to get a call. :( Darn GW email! Glad you had a nice trip. Yes, the Seaport is a national treasure. Mystic is going to be a mess for the next couple years. The State & town are using funds from the Recovery Reinvestment Act to redo the bridge, place the utilities underground, install fancy lamp posts, new planters, & new benches. It's going to have traffic thru town down to one lane for 18+ months. Everything for the bridge undertaking has to be barged up the Mystic River. Oh, what a mess it's going to be!

Very sorry we missed you both! Did you make it to Abbott's Lobster In The Rough? Although it sounds like you found plenty of lobster to tide you over until your next trip! :)

/tricia

Mudlady - all the chowder talk got me craving a big steaming bowl.... When I went to the market this morning, haddock and scallops looked good. This was done using the Jasper White recipe above.