Clambake vs Seafood Boil: The History & Differences

A Brief History of the Clambake and Seafood Boil.

It’s always fascinating to know where things come from – even when it comes to our favorite foods. The history of the clambake and its influence on the seafood boil is truly a part of America and has evolved regionally through the past centuries.

The History of the Clambake

Clambake dates back to the Native American tribes in the northeast of America as far back as over 2000 years ago. They used the earth as their cooking vessel with sand, fire, and seaweed to cook the local seafood from the nearby shores.

In the late 1700s, the natives taught the pilgrims this traditional meal who in turn wrote and popularized the clambake after the American Revolution as a way of further detaching themselves from their European past. As such, the clambake is truly an American dish.

The closest to its origins is the New England clambake which is still done at the beach and cooked in the sand. Over the years as settlers moved southwest, the clambake evolved to the seafood boil which uses pots and spices.

The Variations of a Seafood Boil

Like the clambake, the seafood boil is a meal created for a social event and large gatherings. Today most states have their regional variation using different spices and varying techniques of cooking like boiling, steaming, baking, or simply raw.

For instance, there’s the Louisiana seafood bin with shrimp, crab, and crawfish all in cajun flavors. There’s also the low country boil using milder seasonings. And during summer months, there’s the Maryland crab boil featuring the seasonal and regional blue crabs, oysters, and clams.

And in all bakes and boils, you will certainly also feast on corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausages cooked together with the seafood.