Some New England Specific Seafood Treats

Seafood is quite favorite worldwide, in some places basically since consumers live by the sea and will need to eat, and in other locations mainly because it's a delicacy it tastes wonderful. Even visiting places like Vienna, Nebraska, and Beijing, locations far from the sea, seafood is normally on menus. I've run into just Maine Lobster itself in over 20 states, but often eat it when in my residence state of Maine. Here are a few New England specialties, some accessible almost worldwide, some only in New England.

Considering that we mentioned it already, Lobster from the northeast US is very popular. Other kinds of lobster, frequently known as crayfish or spiny lobster is accessible worldwide in areas as diverse as New Zealand, Florida, and Australia, but the so-called Maine Lobster is only offered from New England and Nova Scotia. Some estimates are that 90% come from Maine waters, hence the name. These lobsters unlike other ones have claws and the claw meat is some of the perfect. The simplest preparation is the most widely used: boiled or steamed. The bright red lobsters are then cracked open with nut crackers, dipped in butter, and eaten. The prime parts are the claws and tail, but the legs and body also include some meat. The green liver, known as tomalley, from the body is tasty but not for everybody. These lobsters are shipped and obtainable nearly worldwide.

Steamed clams are also common worldwide, but the soft shell steamer clam, Mya arenaria, also identified as a "piss clam" or longneck" and less frequently as an Ipswich or Essex clam, is only obtainable in New England. I have in no way encountered these clams elsewhere as they do not ship properly and have to have to be very fresh. They are also mave a extremely distinctive, sweet, and tasty clam and my favorite species to steam by far. They are steamed in half to an inch of water until the shells barely open and then served with the steaming broth in a mug, for dipping to eliminate any remaining sand or grit, and then dipped in melted butter a lot like lobster. Purists like myself will often skip the broth and butter.

Clam Pie, in some cases referred to as Quahog Pie, is a recipe from the Wamponoag Native American tribe. It is one thing you are unlikely to encounter outside of New England. It consists of a pie crust, hopefully not buttery as to not mask the clam flavor, filled with chopped, huge tough-shelled clams, flour, sautéed onions, potatoes, oftentimes carrots and clam stock.

Of course there are other amazing seafood dishes, but these three are uniquely New England.