Weekender: “Do New Englanders frown on clam strips and prefer clam bellies?”

(Answer requested by Irwin Chung)

Frown on? No. It’s a matter of individual taste.

Both styles of fried clams, as we know them today, are local inventions anyway, created in towns on the Massachusetts coastline, north of Boston.

The now-classic recipe for deep fried, breaded whole clams (with “bellies”) was created by “Lawrence Henry ‘Chubby’ Woodman from Essex, Massachusetts. He is said to have created the first batch [in a potato-chip fryer] on July 3, 1916.”

Fried Clam Strips (minced sea clam “feet” — the large muscle — pressed into a strip and deep fried) were invented in 1932 by “…Thomas Soffron, of Soffron Brothers Clam Co., based in Ipswich, Massachusetts. …. He sold these to Howard Johnson’s [a national restaurant chain] in an exclusive deal, and as the chain expanded, they became popular throughout the country.”

Clam strips have a uniform texture; whole clams are variable and contain squishy liquid, and sometimes, sand.

Personally, I prefer strips. 🙂

Permalink: https://langa.com/?p=3076

COMMENT / QUESTION on THIS ITEM? See the Comment box at bottom of this page!

NEW QUESTION? Ask here!

(Want free notification of new content? Click here!)