A State-by-State Guide to the Most Iconic Foods in America

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Connecticut: White Clam Pizza

Connecticut’s most iconic food is a particular style of pizza locals call “apizza,” and one variety stands out above all: New Haven’s white clam pizza. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, a famed New Haven eatery, invented the white clam pie in the mid-1960s as a twist on their coal-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. This pizza is unique – it has no red sauce at all. Instead, the thin, charred crust is topped with fresh littleneck clams, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a sprinkling of grated pecorino Romano cheese. The result is a briny, garlicky masterpiece that tastes like the New England shore. Frank Pepe’s original clam pizza is still served today, and its cult status has made New Haven one of the country’s pizza capitals. Connecticut residents proudly tout their white clam pie as a must-try, ultra-regional specialty that you won’t quite find anywhere else.