The Rich, Rustic Italian Seafood Dish That Actually Hails From California

Delicious seafood stews take on different forms around the world with plenty of delightful differences as well as some similarities. Those familiar with Italian-American fare might recognize the seafood stew known as cioppino from the menu of your favorite restaurant. Interestingly, this dish is actually a uniquely California food, hailing from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. As with many popular foods, this tomato-forward seafood stew comes from the innovations of immigrants, bringing the tastes of their home country to America.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Italian-American fisherman based in San Francisco's North Beach would take the leftovers from their catch of the day and assemble a delicious stew, cooking the seafood alongside tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs, olive oil, and wine. This fusion of traditional Italian ingredients and fresh California fish is a match made in foodie heaven. It is said that the name came from the fact that this stew was typically communal in nature and repeated calls of "Chip in! Chip in!" became colloquialized into the name cioppino. However, the word cioppino also translates to "roughly chopped" in English, so it could simply refer to the preparation of the ingredients in the stew. This is the more likely source, particularly as there is a brothy Ligurian seafood stew called ciuppin, also meaning chopped.

Given the nature of its origins, cioppino recipes can vary quite a bit depending on your source of seafood. Whereas the first iterations of the dish were communally collected stews among California fishermen, making your own classic, slightly spicy cioppino recipe at home is likely to look a bit different. Having a hearty base of tomato sauce is an absolute must to flavor your stew with inspirations from authentic Italian cuisine. The fish you use should also be fresh and flavorful for the perfect California coastal taste. Try a mix of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and halibut for a basic batch. Include squid and crabmeat for an even more diverse array of seafood.

Serve your cioppino with a hunk or two of crusty sourdough bread alongside to pay tribute to its San Fransican origins. This also makes an excellent side for sopping up the seafood broth. Cioppino is surprisingly easy to make so long as you've got the right ingredients. It's really about letting the natural flavors of the fish shine through and complementing it all with a lush tomato base and the right accouterments for serving.