Minorcan clam chowder

Minorcan clam chowder is a red-broth chowder: chopped clams, potato, onion, bell pepper and celery cooked in a tomato base, with bacon or salt pork. What sets it apart is the datil, a small, very hot pepper of the same species as the habanero (Capsicum chinense), grown mainly in the Saint Augustine area. It gives the broth a strong heat with a sweet, citrusy touch.

The dish is tied to the Minorcan community of Saint Augustine. In 1768, the Scotsman Andrew Turnbull brought to his New Smyrna indigo plantation, south of the city, more than a thousand indentured workers—most from the island of Menorca in the Balearics, along with Greeks and Italians. Conditions were harsh, and many died in the first years. In 1777 the survivors took refuge in Saint Augustine, where they were granted land; their descendants make up a sizable community in St. Johns County.

There are two versions of how datil arrived. Local tradition says the Minorcans brought seeds from Menorca, sometimes sewn into clothing. Researchers regard that as oral tradition, since the pepper is of Caribbean origin. A 1937 St. Augustine Record article credits its arrival to a local jam and preserve maker who allegedly brought seeds from Santiago de Cuba; local press places that event around 1880. Whatever the origin, datil was adopted by the Minorcan community and became a city symbol.

No single creator or date is known for the chowder. Each family has its own recipe, with more or less pepper and sometimes other seafood. The most common comparison is with Manhattan clam chowder, which is also tomato-based but lacks datil; New England clam chowder is a different style, made with milk or cream.

In Saint Augustine and nearby areas, Minorcan clam chowder appears in seafood restaurants and at church suppers, served at varying levels of heat. It shares the Minorcan table with pilau, a baked rice dish with tomato and meat, chicken or shrimp.