Chowder recipes are used for making a stew. Many chowder recipes feature seafood ingredients though some are based on vegetables as a main ingredient. A chowder can be creamy, tomato based, or broth based. Chowder is often named for the region surrounding where it is prepared and may be identified through the country based on the regional name. For instance, New England clam chowder and Manhattan clam chowder are known throughout the U.S. for the style of chowder represented by the region/city name. The origins of the word chowder indicates it comes from the Latin word calderia which means "a place for warming things" and also was the basis for the word cauldron. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ChowderHistory.htm The terms chowder and bisque are often interchanged but a chowder is typically chunky and the bisque is a pureed version of the ingredients.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6NZ7-ctySI

The food known today as chowder, originated as a fisherman’s stew with documented versions dating to the 18th century in France where the original stew was known as la chaudree meaning (cauldron).http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsoups.html. Early versions of chowder in the United States were published in the Boston Evening Post in 1751. The recipe contained pork and fish both with vegetables and seasoning layered with the meats. Onions were the first item in the pot, to protect the pork from burning.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ChowderHistory.htm

There is no specific historical documentation on why tomato based chowder is called Manhattan chowder but documentation of criticism of the chowder in comparison to the New England chowder was seen in the New England Sampler in 1940. These tomato based recipes appeared in cooking in the late 1800s. The battle between the regions over the inclusion of the tomato in the chowder even led to a Maine legislator introducing a 1939 bill to make it illegal to include the tomato in the pot.http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsoups.html<ref>

Chowder can be made in many variations including the following:

1. A salmon chowder can use either fresh fish or the canned product.http://www.chowderrecipes.net/
2. Corn chowder can be made from fresh, frozen or canned corn. It may be made with a Mexican style, or can be a creamy chowder. It may be accompanied by chicken or crab or may include cheeses.http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Soups-Stews-and-Chili/Chowders/Corn-Chowder/Top.aspx
3. Manhattan Clam Chowder includes tomatoes.http://www.cajun-recipes.com/html/gumbo/40833.htm
4. A seafood chowder recipe may include shrimp, crab, clams, or other fish ingredients. Seasonings may vary depending on the desired taste. A Mexican Seafood Chowder might include corn and green chili as ingredients.http://www.cajun-recipes.com/html/gumbo/31165.htm