![]() ![]() 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. The quahog is incredibly important to Rhode Island, both economically and symbolically. ![]()
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