Here’s a look at what you can expect during Quahog Week 2023 at various South County businesses. Quahog Week runs from April 23 through April 29 in 2023 and allows locals and visitors to sample eclectic quahog dishes and better understand the clam’s importance to the region. In short, the quahog is vital in many aspects of Rhode Island life, so it makes sense for the state to recognize it. Today, the quahog remains a popular ingredient in local cuisine, is known as the Rhode Island state shell, and is the name of the fictional Rhode Island city featured in the television show Family Guy. A local man named Nelson Blount is often credited with bringing the quahog to prominence, saving his family’s oyster-harvesting business by marketing these clams to restaurants and residents as a delicious alternative to the oyster. That alternative was the quahog, a hard-shelled clam abundant in Narraganset Bay. The oyster industry had run its course, leaving local businesses to find an alternative. By 1896, oyster beds throughout the state were diminishing, and despite a banner year in 1911, the industry was in trouble.Įverything came to a head in 1938 when the Great New England Hurricane wiped out shucking houses, ruined wharves, and destroyed oyster boats. However, it wasn’t always that way, as oysters once took center stage in Narragansett Bay throughout the 1700s and 1800s and were an integral part of local cuisine.Īs the region grew, pollution and overfishing took their toll on the oyster industry, leading to a downturn. If you find a mud-filled center, a possible though unlikely scenario, toss it and be glad that it didn't get into your food.The quahog is incredibly important to Rhode Island, both economically and symbolically. If there's a plump clam inside that smells fine, then go ahead and use it. In the rare event that a clam absolutely refuses to open even after prolonged cooking, try sliding a knife between the shells. And even when they do, in some cases they'll open just a crack and not all the way, which is fine-just pry the shells open.

Some clams will take a surprisingly long time to pop open during cooking, but they almost always will eventually. So, most importantly, don't buy or cook clams that are wide open and refuse to close when prodded, because they really are dead and could make you sick. The only clear sign of a dead clam is a clam that's gaping open. A clam that's closed tight is a live clam fighting a respectable-but futile-battle. Second, there's a bit of folk wisdom out there that claims you shouldn't eat a clam that refuses to open during cooking.

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