<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Cookbook: Clam chowder Media: Clam chowder </Td> </Tr> <P> Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups containing clams and broth . In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, onions, and celery . Other vegetables are not typically used, but small carrot strips or a garnish of parsley might occasionally be added primarily for color . A garnish of bay leaves adds both color and flavor . It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ease of harvesting them . Clam chowder is usually served with saltine crackers or small, hexagonal oyster crackers . </P> <P> The dish originated in the Eastern United States, but is now commonly served in restaurants throughout the country, particularly on Fridays when American Catholics traditionally abstained from meat . Many regional variations exist, but the two most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder and Rhode Island / Manhattan or "red" clam chowder . </P> <P> The earliest - established and most popular variety of clam chowder, New England clam chowder, was introduced to the region by French, Nova Scotian, or British settlers, becoming common in the 18th century . The first recipe for another variety, Manhattan clam chowder, known for using tomatoes and its consequently distinctly red coloring, was published in 1934 . In 1939, the New England state of Maine debated legislation that would outlaw the use of tomatoes in chowder, thereby essentially prohibiting the "Manhattan" form . </P>

New england clam chowder is that the red or the white