The East Coast Soup That Was Always On President John F. Kennedy's Table

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The U.S. presidents' favorite foods run the gamut from Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary mac and cheese to Harry Truman's fried chicken. One particularly fitting food preference was President John F. Kennedy's love of fish chowder. The regional delicacy was a go-to meal for the Massachusetts-born politician. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum reports that New England-style fish chowder was one of his favorite dishes. His fondness for soup was well-known by his cohorts, who remembered him as a "soup, sandwich, and fruit" sort of guy when lunchtime came around. A bowl of fish chowder would likely get the president's appetite up, but JFK was reportedly a modest eater who "often had to be reminded that it was dinnertime." 

New England fish chowder has a long history. It was initially eaten by Indigenous people in the Northeast, and later by settlers, fishermen, and sailors in New England. The chowder typically starred cod or haddock, while the additions of salt pork and plain crackers, known as hardtack, seasoned and thickened the stew. Nowadays, it's usually creamy and starchy, thanks to dairy and potatoes. 

JFK reportedly indulged in the dish regularly while in Hyannis Port, a Massachusetts village where the Kennedy Compound is located. Unsurprisingly, he loved New England clam chowder, too, and reportedly used to pack thermoses of it to share with on-duty Secret Service agents when the weather was cold.

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In 1961, John F. Kennedy was serving his presidential term when he received a letter from Lynn Jennings, a child with a disability. She asked the president what he enjoyed eating, and JFK's staff urged him to respond with a memo reading, "Please reply to her, she will be extremely happy." He responded with a no-frills recipe for New England fish chowder. It called for 2 pounds of haddock and 2 ounces of salt pork, along with onions, potatoes, and celery. The only seasonings were bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, while milk and butter imparted richness.

In his honor, JFK Chowder was once served at the Roof Terrace Restaurant, a D.C. eatery in the Kennedy Center. Teeming with bacon, fresh fish stock, white pepper roux, rockfish, and herb oil, it was a step above the more typical New England clam chowder on the restaurant's current menu, complete with bacon and Old Bay oyster crackers. 

JFK's well-documented enjoyment of New England foods is thoroughly rooted in hearty seafood soups. Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in Boston, was a beloved spot for JFK. Before he was president, he'd habitually head to the upstairs dining room for a quiet lunch of lobster stew. Could he have washed it down with his favorite imported beer, a Heineken? We like to think so.