Explaining the ‘stuffie,’ a
uniquely Rhode Island food that’s trying to attract tourists
The
stuffed quahog is part of Rhode Island's latest campaign to draw in new
visitors. But what exactly is a stuffie?
Massachusetts is known for its
seafood. More specifically, clam chowder, fried clams, and oysters, and the
food is just one of the reasons why millions of visitors come to the Bay State
every year.
But what about the rest of New
England? Like, Rhode Island, for example? Also known for its seafood scene, a
food that might come to mind is calamari, the state appetizer that’s tossed
with hot peppers.
Instead of capitalizing on that dish’s
reputation, the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is using a food in its recent
campaign that is uniquely Rhode Island.
The “stuffie.”
In an attempt to draw in visitors to
Rhode Island, the agency responsible for statewide economic development created
a campaign starring a whopping 200-pound version of the stuffed quahog. It’s
made of styrofoam, and it sits on a large plate next to an 8-foot-tall bottle
of hot sauce. The agency had two of them made by local company Lance
Industries.
The stuffie, which is making its way
around parts of the country that offer flights to and from Providence, has been
subject to some online criticism by the agency’s strongest detractors — Rhode
Islanders themselves.
“We have a great culinary scene and
having a giant baby pooh on a clam is not going to bring in more tourists,” one
commenter said below a Boston Globe article.
When it comes to looks alone, these
oven-baked clams aren’t the most attractive plate of food, though Stephen
Bucolo, president of Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown, thinks they make up for
it in taste.
His business, which includes a
restaurant, a seafood market, and wholesale, sells plenty of stuffies (though
they sell a lot more of their calamari appetizer). Often they’re asked to
explain what a stuffie is.
“Outside of Rhode Island, very few
people know what they are,” he said. “When they ask, we say stuffed quahog, and
then they ask what a quahog is.”
Anika Kimble-Huntley, the chief
marketing officer of the Rhode Island Commerce, said that’s part of the point
of the campaign. They want people in their target markets — Los Angeles,
Detroit, Atlanta, and Baltimore — to ask about the stuffie. And they are, she
added.
“I think it’s great that people are
talking about it,” Kimble-Huntley said. “We want people to talk about it.
That’s really what the goal is, to create buzz and to raise awareness of the
unique cuisine in Rhode Island.”
Kimble-Huntley said they have
ambassadors on site to explain the beloved stuffie to passersby and to pump
them up about a potential Rhode Island trip. There’s also a video screen next
to the stuffie that shows people how they’re made, from clamming to cooking.
So, what is a stuffie?
Outside of the boundaries of the
country’s smallest state, stuffed quahogs really aren’t a widely-known (or
eaten) food. They show up on some menus in southeastern Massachusetts, mostly
near waters where quahogs are found (like Buzzards Bay), which is the clam used
when making a “stuffie.”
But quahogs are found in abundance in
Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Shellfish culture is important in Rhode
Island, its industry worth hundreds of millions, and recreationally people
enjoy clamming.
They also, obviously, really enjoy
eating the catches.
Bucolo sells nearly 600 stuffies a
week during peak summer season, he said. It helps that his stuffies were
advertised on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives;” it also doesn’t hurt that not
many people serve them.
But when they are on the menu, they’re
usually always a different take on the stuffie.
“The reason it’s so beloved here is
that every family makes it their own way,” Kimble-Huntley said.
Aside from the quahogs, the recipes
usually call for peppers, onions, the Portuguese sausage chourico, a breading,
and reserved clam juice. You can opt for a different kind of sausage — or not
use one at all, and people use various breadings to put in their stuffie dish,
like sourdough, Portuguese sweet bread, bread crumbs, or croutons.
Bucolo, who uses his grandmother’s
recipe, puts the latter in his stuffies.
After the clams are steamed, chopped,
and mixed in with the other ingredients, you bake it all together. Many serve
it with hot sauce drizzled on top, but you can also use melted butter in the
same way.
Bucolo said the dish is really popular
during the summer months, an appetizer of choice for a football game watch
party, and it pairs well with an ice-cold beer.
Now back to this giant stuffie. There
is actually a chance for some Bay Staters to view the stuffie (or, as one
Reddit user called it, a “creature from Star Trek”) in person at this year’s
Big E in West Springfield.
Kimble-Huntley said the stuffie will
be stationed in front of the Rhode Island Building.
The second stuffie is currently being
driven around Michigan and Ohio, attempting to entice residents there to visit
Rhode Island via Detroit’s airport.
The stuffie will eventually journey to
Los Angeles, where it will join another Rhode Island-specific installation of a
Newport mansion, as well as Atlanta and Baltimore
