Why Maine Tried To Outlaw Tomatoes In Clam Chowder

Maine has a few different claims to fame. As the northeasternmost state in the union, it's the first one in the contiguous United States to see the sun rise. Stephen King famously hails from Maine, as did the legendary film director John Ford. And, of course, it's renowned for its seafood, from its bounty of lobsters (in roll form or otherwise) to its love of clam chowder — well, one specific kind of clam chowder, anyway. Locals hate the other kind so much that a Maine state representative once introduced a bill to ban tomatoes from being served in chowder altogether.

You see, there are two main varieties of clam chowder (although there are many more). The first and most famous kind is New England clam chowder, whose broth is enriched with milk or cream; the second is Manhattan clam chowder, with a tomato-based broth. Despite the name, Manhattan clam chowder was also invented in New England — it was developed by Portuguese immigrants who lived in Rhode Island and traveled to New York's Fulton Fish Market for their clams. But that doesn't stop some people from forming very strong opinions (most famously a Maine state representative from the early 20th century with the awesomely old-fashioned name of Cleveland Sleeper Jr.), who half-seriously wrote a bill to get tomato-based chowder banned in the Pine Tree State.

Cleveland Sleeper Jr., a state representative from Rockland, Maine, earned himself a spot in the Hater Hall of Fame with his crusade against tomato-based chowder. In 1939, he wrote a bill that would ban the stuff in Maine, specifying that those who ran afoul of the law would have to produce a barrel of clams from the nearest beach at high tide — which, for those who are unfamiliar with clamming, is kind of like asking someone to pick a basket of cherries without a ladder.

Sleeper, not satisfied with debating Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio live on the radio (which he actually did), was itching for a fight, or at least for publicity. He got his wish when a contest was arranged in Portland, the state's largest city, with judges including then-Governor Lewis O. Barrows and chocolate chip cookie inventor (or popularizer) Ruth Wakefield. Somewhat confusingly, the representative for Manhattan clam chowder wasn't from Manhattan or Rhode Island, but a restaurant owner from Philadelphia. In any case, the chefs of both Sleeper and Philadelphia restaurateur Harry Tully prepared their respective soups and presented them to the judges.

It should come as no surprise that New England clam chowder won a contest held in Maine and judged almost exclusively by New Englanders. Sleeper, mollified, dropped his bill, and New England chowder is still the most popular kind of clam soup in most places — and certainly in Maine.