Is This Really MA's 'Most Iconic Food'? The Food Network Says So.

MASSACHUSETTS — You may not agree, but the Food Network says the most iconic food in Massachusetts is clam chowder.

The network listed the foods each of the 50 states is known for in its 2024 “United Plates of America” report released earlier this year.

Here’s what the Food Network says about clam chowder in the Bay State: Legal Sea Foods — or Legal, as it is fondly known here — opened in 1950 in Cambridge and has become a New England institution, now counting dozens of outposts along the eastern seaboard. (Disclosure: This writer’s mother worked here decades ago!)

Owner Roger Berkowitz recalls: “Initially we had done only fish chowder, [but] we tried an experiment with clam chowder and it went over well. … As soon as we introduced it, I thought, ‘Boy, why didn’t we do that before?’” Today the clam chowder — featuring fresh clams, salt pork, potatoes, light cream and a homemade fish stock that Berkowitz thinks is key — outsells fish chowder 20 to 1.

The Food Network says its list is “packed with iconic local flavors that share its history and define its geography.” The list also includes the best place to find these foods.

If clam chowder doesn’t suit your tastes, other iconic foods in the region include:

Connecticut — White Clam Pizza

Maine — Lobster Roll

New Hampshire — Poutine

Rhode Island – Coffee Milk

Vermont — Apple Pie (with cheddar slice)