The Beloved Rhode Island Stuffed Staple Few Outside The State Know

Rhode Island doesn't have quite the same culinary cachet as some of its fellow states in New England, even setting aside Dunkin' swilling, chowdah-gulping Massachusetts. Vermont has maple syrup and a conspicuous dearth of fast food restaurants, while Maine has its famous (and famously expensive) lobsters. But what about the land of "Family Guy" and Taylor Swift's summer mansion? Well, Rhode Island has "stuffies," or stuffed clams. They're not super well-known outside "The Ocean State," but quite frankly, they deserve to be.

Stuffed clams are just what they sound like: clam meat mixed with breadcrumbs (along with some other stuff), baked and served inside a half-shell of a hard-shell clam. (Hard-shell clams are also called "quahogs"; yes, that's where the town in "Family Guy" got its name.) Exactly what "some other stuff" entails depends upon the recipe. Some people insist that clams and breadcrumbs are all you need; others use onion and celery, not unlike the stuffing (or dressing) we eat over the holidays; others use sausage like chorizo. Any way you slice or (or stuff it, we suppose), it's a delicious seafood dish anyone with access to clams can enjoy.

You might be wondering why chorizo is such a popular ingredient in stuffed clams. Sausage is understandable, but who knew New England cuisine could get so picante? Well, once you learn about the history of Rhode Island (and New England in general), it makes a lot more sense. You see, in the 19th century, Portuguese immigrants came from the poorer parts of the country to live in New England, looking for jobs on whaling ships and fishing boats as well as in textile factories.

Although not as closely associated with New England as Irish- or Italian-Americans, Portuguese-Americans left their mark all the same. Despite the name, Manhattan clam chowder was invented in Rhode Island by Portuguese immigrants, who made a tomato-based stew out of clams they bought from New York's Fulton Fish Market. (Not that this didn't receive some pushback; in fact, a Maine state senator once half-jokingly tried to ban tomato-based clam chowders altogether.) And when people in Rhode Island add sausage to their stuffies, they will often include chouriço (the Portuguese version of chorizo). It's smoky, meaty, and, in tandem with salty clams — utterly delicious.