New England Clam Chowder

• New England Clam Chowder is cream-based. In addition to clams, the soup often contains potatoes as a thickener and is commonly seasoned with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

• Manhattan Clam Chowder is a water-based soup with tomatoes added to the broth. In addition to clams and tomatoes, common ingredients include onion and celery, and the soup is often seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley.

History

• When the French settled the Canadian Maritimes between the 16th and 18th centuries, they made soups out of the local seafood, according to "The Oxford Companion to Food."

  In "50 Chowders: One Pot Meals--Clam, Corn & Beyond" Jasper White writes that in 1894 Charles Ranhoffer, the chef of New York's Delmonico's Restaurant, published a recipe for a tomato-based clam chowder in his cookbook "The Epicurean."