The Origins of 25 Classic American Seafood Dishes

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau within the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans consumed about 6.3 billion pounds of seafood in 2019, the last year for which data is available. While American fisheries bring in substantially more than that, we also export huge quantities of fish and shellfish, and an  estimated 70-85% of what we eat is imported from other countries. 

Nonetheless, our coastal waters are teeming with seafood. The Pacific Northwest is known for its King and Dungeness crabs, oysters, salmon, and spot prawns, as well as an array of whitefish varieties (especially in Alaska), while the New England coast is famous for its lobsters, clams, scallops, haddock, and cod. In the Mid-Atlantic, blue crab and flounder are king, while the Gulf Coast boasts crawfish, shrimp, snapper, grouper, and tuna. (See which varieties are, for reasons of health or the environment or both, some of the worst seafood you can eat.)

With the plethora of seafood available in the U.S., it’s no surprise that there are myriads of iconic dishes, often synonymous with each region’s cuisine. Dishes like New England clam chowder, Maryland crab cakes, shrimp Creole, and Hawaiian poke have deep roots in their respective birthplaces. 

To compile a list of 25 iconic American seafood dishes, 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous books and websites dedicated to seafood and to regional culinary specialties. In recommending restaurants that serve the dishes in question, we consulted reviews and rankings on websites including Taste Atlas, Eater, Time Out, and Eat This Not That. Note that the images that follow don’t necessarily represent the dish as served at the recommended restaurant.

Most of these dishes were invented in the U.S. – from Hawaii to California to New York – but many are also influenced by the cooking traditions of immigrants from Japan, Italy, Mexico, France, Portugal, and more as well as from indigenous peoples of the Americas. (Take a look at 20 iconic Italian seafood dishes you should know.)

Whatever their origins, these seafood preparations reflect not only the abundance of our waters but the variety and imagination of America’s cooks.

Click here to see classic American seafood dishes and where they came from

Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Source: Read Full Article