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Classic Boston Food

Although the modern dining scene in Boston is an explosion of global tastes that reflect the immigration crossroads of the city, traditional fare drawing on the city’s history and locally available ingredients, including those from the sea, make up Boston’s unique culinary landscape.

Roots

Traditional cuisine in Boston mixes Native American and European influences. Dishes were originally based on ingredients that could be cultivated locally and cooking methods that were efficient and simple. The bounty of seafood available in and around Boston shaped the cuisine as did harvests that included vegetables like potatoes, corn, and winter squash. Today, many of the most famous classic Boston dishes are still based on staples like halibut, cod, lobster, corn, and beans with variations on original recipes.

Famous dishes

Boston is known for a few key food and drink items, that over the years, have practically become synonymous with the city’s name. Boston crème pie, a cake filled with custard and frosted with chocolate, was invented in Boston and is the official dessert of Massachusetts.

Another famous dish from the area, often called “Boston Clam Chowder” in some regions, is New England Clam chowder, whose reputation is owed in part to the bounty of fresh seafood available from the area. Unlike Manhattan clam chowder, which uses a tomato broth, the New England version uses cream. Sampling a bowl of clam chowder is a must for visitors.

Baked beans are also considered a classic Bostonian dish. Beans were a steady staple in the early days of modern Boston, and got a makeover as a new style of cooking entered the scene. A bit of pork fat added for richness and molasses for some sweetness repackaged the simple protein known around the world and turned it into Boston’s own creation. This cooking style stuck throughout the years and gave Boston the famous moniker of “Beantown.” Boston baked beans are one of the most famous dishes to come out of the region.

Boston is also known for beer, housing one of the largest breweries in the world and multiple microbreweries. Some will credit this affinity for premium beer to the influence of Irish food and drink, pointing to the many pubs throughout the city.

Evolution/Trend

Traditional principles of fusion and local ingredients have carried over into Boston’s contemporary dining scene. Old favorites can be found in almost every neighborhood, particularly in areas of congregated restaurants such as Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Try the famous oysters or a bowl of clam chowder there. Today, principles of classic Boston food have also carried over into the modern dining trends, which gently fuse global ethnic cuisines with traditional favorites.

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Classic Boston Food