New England cuisine

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New England Cuisine
tipsand insights

Culinary history in brief

The early colonists gave birth to New England cuisine, which was significantly influenced by the Narragansett Indian cuisine. This New England cooking style continued to mutate into the 19th century as waves of immigrants came from Ireland, Italy and Portugal.

Native American influence

The England-reared pilgrims brought their culinary traditions, but some were ill-suited for their new environment. The American Indians introduced them to many essentials including how to grow corn and harvest molasses, both indigenous to the New World. Without their help, the initial settlers might not have survived the first winter.

A plain and simple cuisine

The cooked foods of the Puritan settlers were relatively bland and uncreative. This reflected not only their religious tenets, but also the frugality forced upon them by the challenging environment. They had to deal with rocky-soiled farms and a short growing season. Their cooking conservatism was passed down from generation to generation.

Seafood

The ocean was bountiful in cod, haddock, clams and lobsters. The last was so abundant that it was considered among the people to be a low-status food. Times have certainly changed.