Bay Leaf

• Sweet bay is a leaf from a Mediterranean evergreen tree that grows 40 to 60 feet tall. It has a lovely resinous smell and can be bought either dried or fresh. The leaf gives flavor and aroma not only to chowder but to stews, roasts, poultry, gravies and sauces. A bay leaf will save chowder from a milky blandness. Usually, the leaf is removed and discarded before the chowder is served.

Parsley

• You may have parsley growing in your garden or kitchen or you can buy it fresh in most supermarkets. It has curly or flat compound leaves -- flat-leaf parsley has more flavor than the curly variety. Fresh parsley can be used as a garnish, or as seasoning in chowder, sauces, egg, fish, shellfish and meat dishes, but shouldn’t be eaten in great quantities, as it can be toxic. It gives to chowder a bright, "green" taste. Dried parsley doesn't have as much flavor, but it works in a pinch.

Thyme

• Garden thyme is native to southern Europe, from Spain to Italy. You can use either fresh or dried thyme to add flavor to chowders. Thyme imparts a hint of spicy warmth to chowder. If you're using fresh thyme, remove the woody stems before you chop the herb.

White Pepper

• White pepper has had its black husk removed to make it white. White pepper is the right choice for chowder because it imparts the flavor of pepper without the black specks from black pepper. It adds a hint of heat.

Black Pepper

• Black peppercorns are picked just before they ripen, then dried in the sun till they turn black. Black pepper gives chowder just enough of a bite to keep it from blandness. Although it adds black specks, it also wakes up the entire chowder.