What’s a Quahog?

Quahogging is a popular activity in the state, but the terminology confuses some non-residents  

Despite being the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island certainly has plenty of unique words, phrases, foods or concepts that leave out-of-staters confused. What is an example of one such word? quahog. 

For many people who live outside the 1,212 square miles that make up the state of Rhode Island, the word quahog simply refers to the fictional town that the television show “Family Guy” takes place in. However, for native Rhode Islanders or some of those who frequent the state, quahog means much more than a fictional town. 

For those not familiar with the term, a quahog is a type of hard-shelled clam, according to the University of Rhode Island’s online Environment Data Center (EDC). Quahogs are so popular in Rhode Island that they are even the official state shellfish – yes, an official state shellfish does actually exist. 

According to the EDC, quahogs live along the entirety of the Eastern Seaboard, but the majority of quahogs can be found between New Jersey and Cape Cod, Massachuessts. 

Seeing as Rhode Island is situated between these two states, it makes sense that quahogs are commonplace in Rhode Island waters. The swath of coastline in the state, whether it be on Block Island, southern Washington County or the Narragansett Bay, provides easy access to the waters that quahogs populate.    

In fact, the presence of quahogs in Narragansett Bay is significant on a national level. URI’s EDC said that previously, 25 percent of all quahogs in the nation came from Narragansett Bay. On a state-wide level, quahogs also play a significant role. 

“Quahogs are prized as human food and constitute one of Rhode Island’s most important fisheries,” URI’s EDC said. 

Junior Tyler Pelletier said that quahogging is a staple of living in Rhode Island. Pelletier said that he tries to go quahogging once or twice a year, but knows of some people who metaphorically live and breathe quahogging. 

“I know some people that will go every week all throughout the summer,” Pelletier said. 

Pelletier said that within the state, quahogging is a beloved hobby by many, but he said that residents of other states are sometimes confused by the terminology. 

“I don’t think anybody from out of state knows what a quahog is, they’re just like, ‘oh, that’s a clam,’” Pelletier said. 

Overall, Pelletier said that he enjoys quahogging because it simply involves being outdoors and is a good way to relax. 

“I think it’s fun because you can just go out there, you don’t really need any tools or anything,” Pelletier said. “You can just walk out in the shallows and feel around with your feet and toes, and you can spend a lot of time with your family out there doing it as a fun activity.” 

According to the URI EDC, quahogs are in season all year long, although quahogging is generally most popular between May and September. Although pollution has slightly decreased the quahog population, Rhode Island remains one of the hotspots in the country for the popular activity of quahogging.