Corn chowder

Last updated
Corn chowder
Vegan Garden Corn Chowder with Chives (cropped).jpg
Corn chowder topped with chives
Type Chowder
Place of originUnited States
Main ingredients Corn, milk or cream, onion, celery, sometimes potatoes or squash

Corn chowder is a chowder soup prepared using corn as a primary ingredient. Basic corn chowder is commonly made of corn, onion, celery, milk or cream, and butter. Additional ingredients sometimes used include potatoes or squash, salt pork, fish, seafood and chicken. In the United States, recipes for corn chowder date to at least as early as 1884. Corn chowder is mass-produced as a canned food in the U.S.

Contents

Overview

Corn chowder is a thick cream-based soup or chowder. It is similar to New England clam chowder, with corn used in place of or substituted for clams in the recipe. [1] [2] Basic ingredients in corn chowder include corn, chopped onion and celery, milk or cream, butter, flour, salt and pepper. [3] [4] [5] Fresh shucked corn with the corn kernels sliced off, canned corn and frozen corn can be used to prepare the dish. [6] [7] [8] In addition to corn, it often contains potatoes, [3] and additional vegetables can also be used. The potatoes can aid in thickening the soup. [6] Chicken stock can also be used as an ingredient, as can salt pork, bacon, crackers and corn starch, the latter as a thickener. [2] [4] [6] [9] [10]

Corn cobs can be used as an ingredient when preparing fresh stock for the dish, and cooking them down can also serve to thicken the soup. [6] [11] Various fish and seafoods are sometimes used as ingredients in corn chowder, and chicken is also sometimes used. [7] [8] [12] [13] Some people serve basic corn chowder as a vegetarian alternative to clam chowder. [1] [14] [15]

History

Corn chowder with potatoes, topped with pepper Potato and corn chowder.jpg
Corn chowder with potatoes, topped with pepper

In the United States, recipes for corn chowder date back to at least 1884, at which time a corn chowder recipe was published in the Boston Cook Book , authored by Mary Lincoln of the Boston Cooking School. [6] Another corn chowder recipe was published in the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book in 1896, which was authored by Fannie Farmer, Lincoln's successor at the Boston Cooking School. [6] Farmer's recipe utilized canned corn, a product that emerged around the mid-1800s in the U.S. [6] The 1896 recipe also included salt pork, potatoes and crackers as ingredients. [16] After Lincoln's published recipe in 1884, myriad recipes for corn chowder began circulating in various cookbooks in the United States, with many types of recipe variations. [6] For example, some recipes utilized cream, milk or condensed milk, and thickeners included the use of flour or eggs. [6]

Around the early 1900s, the Shakers were well known for their chowder soups and general culinary skills. [6] A simple Shakers recipe from this time period for corn chowder used just three ingredients: cream, butter and fresh corn. [6]

Mass production

A bowl of heated "Signature Cafe" canned corn chowder, a mass-produced store brand marketed by Safeway Inc. The dish here is topped with additional scallions, pepper and a sprig of parsley. Safeway Signature Cafe corn chowder.jpg
A bowl of heated "Signature Cafe" canned corn chowder, a mass-produced store brand marketed by Safeway Inc. The dish here is topped with additional scallions, pepper and a sprig of parsley.

Corn chowder is a mass-produced canned food product in the United States. [17] The Campbell Soup Company manufactures and markets prepared canned soup products named "Sweet Potato Corn Chowder", "Campbell's Healthy Request Chunky Corn Chowder", "Campbell's Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder" and "Clam and Corn Chowder with Bacon." [17] [18] [19] [20]

Progresso, a General Mills brand, manufactures and markets corn chowders, such as "Rich & Hearty Chicken Corn Chowder" and "Light Chicken Corn Chowder." [21]

Costco markets a corn chowder under its Kirkland Signature brand name, named "Kirkland Roasted Corn Chowder." [22]

Safeway Inc. markets a corn chowder under their "Signature Cafe" store brand. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

Cuisine of New England Overview of the cuisine of New England

New England cuisine is an American cuisine which originated in the New England region of the United States, and traces its roots to English cuisine. It is characterized by extensive use of seafood and dairy products, resulting from its historical reliance on its seaports and fishing industry, as well as extensive dairy farming in inland regions.

Chowder Category of soups

Chowder is a type of soup or stew often prepared with milk or cream and thickened with broken crackers, crushed ship biscuit, or a roux. Variations of chowder can be seafood or vegetable. Crackers such as oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter. Other common chowders include seafood chowder, which includes fish, clams, and many other types of shellfish; lamb or veal chowder made with barley; corn chowder, which uses corn instead of clams; a wide variety of fish chowders; and potato chowder, which is often made with cheese. Fish chowder, corn chowder, and especially clam chowder are popular in the North American regions of New England and Atlantic Canada; and internationally in New Zealand.

Clam soup

Clam soup is a soup prepared using clams as a primary ingredient. Clam soup can be prepared as a thin, broth- or cream/milk-based soup and as a thicker, chowder-style soup. In Japan, hot miso soup prepared with clams is believed by some to be a cure for the hangover.

Chicken soup Soup made from chicken

Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, noodles, dumplings, or grains such as rice and barley. Chicken soup has acquired the reputation of a folk remedy for colds and influenza, and in many countries is considered a comfort food.

Clam chowder Soup containing clams and broth or milk

Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. 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.

Clam dip

Clam dip is a dipping sauce and condiment prepared with clams, sour cream or cream cheese, and seasonings as primary ingredients. Various additional ingredients can be used. It is usually served chilled, although it is sometimes served hot or at room temperature. It is used as a dip for potato chips, crackers, bread, and crudités. Commercial varieties of clam dip are mass-produced by some companies and marketed to consumers in grocery stores and supermarkets.

Hodge-podge or hotch potch is a soup or stew, usually based on diced mutton or other meat, with green and root vegetables. It is familiar in different versions in Britain and North America and is particularly associated with Scotland.

Cream of mushroom soup Type of soup

Cream of mushroom soup is a simple type of soup where a basic roux is thinned with cream or milk and then mushrooms and/or mushroom broth are added. It is well known in North America as a common type of condensed canned soup. Cream of mushroom soup is often used as a base ingredient in casseroles and comfort foods. This use is similar to that of a mushroom-flavored gravy.

Ham salad

Ham salad is a traditional Anglo-American salad. Ham salad resembles chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad : the primary ingredient, ham, is mixed with smaller amounts of chopped vegetables or relishes, and the whole is bound with liberal amounts of a mayonnaise, salad cream, or other similar style of salad dressing, such as Miracle Whip.

Soup Primarily liquid food

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot, that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews.

Prawn soup

Prawn soup, also referred to as shrimp soup, is a soup dish prepared using freshwater or saltwater prawns as a primary ingredient. Several varieties of the dish exist in various areas of the world, including Penang Prawn Mee in Malaysia, Peruvian chupe de camarones, Thai kaeng som kung and Mexican caldo de camarones, among others. Prawn and shrimp soup can be prepared as a broth- or stock-based soup, as a cream-based soup, or as a chowder. In the United States, cream of shrimp soup is mass-produced and distributed canned or frozen.

Cheese soup

Cheese soup is a type of soup prepared using cheese as a primary ingredient, along with milk, broth and/or stock to form its basis. Various additional ingredients are used in its preparation, and various types and styles of cheese soup exist. It is a part of some cuisines in the world, such as American, Colombian, Mexican, Swiss, French, and Tibetan cuisines. Mass-produced cheese soups may be prepared with the addition of food additives to preserve them and enhance flavor. A list of cheese soups is included in this article.

Bacon soup Type of soup

Bacon soup is soup made with bacon. Generally a number of vegetables are added and often a thickening agent such as pearl barley, lentils or corn flour. It can be added to Italian minestrone soup to enhance the flavor.

Lettuce soup Soup made with lettuce

Lettuce soup is a soup prepared with lettuce as a primary ingredient. It may be prepared with myriad lettuces and other ingredients, and some lettuce soups may use several cultivars of lettuce in their preparation. It is a part of French cuisine and Chinese cuisine. Cream of lettuce soup is a type of lettuce soup prepared using milk or cream. The soup may be served with toast or rolls as a side dish or with the soup atop them. It may be served as an appetizer, a side dish or as a main dish, and may be served hot or cold.

Cream of broccoli soup

Cream of broccoli soup is a soup prepared with broccoli, stock and milk or cream as primary ingredients. Ingredient variations exist, as do vegan versions. It is also a commercially, mass-produced soup, often sold in cans. Several recipes use canned cream of broccoli soup as an ingredient, such as its use with cooked chicken dishes and as a sauce.

Corn stew Thick stew made with maize

Corn stew is a stew prepared with corn (maize) as a primary ingredient. Many variations exist in ingredient usage and in methods of preparation. Corn stew is a dish in several cuisines of the world. Mazamorra is an historically old corn stew dish in South America that is prepared using simple ingredients, and is a dish in several other cuisines.

Coconut soup is a fruit soup prepared using coconut milk or coconut fruit as a main ingredient. Many varieties of coconut soups exist in the world, including ginataan, laksa, sayur lodeh, soto, and tom kha kai, and myriad ingredients are used. They can be served hot or cold. While most coconut soups are savoury dishes, some varieties—such as binignit and kolak—are sweet dessert soups.

A cream soup is a soup prepared using cream, light cream, half and half or milk as a key ingredient. Sometimes the dairy product is added at the end of the cooking process, such as after a cream soup has been puréed.

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