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Calabash Seafood: Seafood Capital Of the World?

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash: but the docks here never sleep.

The town of Calabash, NC, is a small town with a rich history tied closely to the sea. Nestled in the southeast corner of North Carolina, Calabash has become synonymous with a unique style of seafood, making it a culinary landmark. The town’s relationship with the ocean and the seafood industry stretches generations, and it’s this deep connection to fishing and cooking that has earned it the title “Seafood Capital of the World.”

Settled in the late 1600s, the to-be seafood legend was known as Pea Landing. Inhabited by plantation owners, the area was an important shipping center for indigo, peanuts, and the timber industry along the river. Fishing was not just an occupation here, but a way of life, with fishermen headed out early in the morning and returning with nets full of shrimp, and lines of fish. This tradition of people living off the sea gave way to seafood recipes decades in the making.

Families, then and now, depended on the ocean for their livelihoods, as folks from across the nation flutter to one of the many, many restaurants for their fix of “Calabash style seafood,” locally caught seafood lightly battered in cornmeal and fried to a perfect golden crisp. For the restaurants that serve it, the recipes have been passed down through generations, ensuring each dish is prepared with the same care that made it famous. These platters are usually paired with classic hush puppies, coleslaw, and fries. What began as a practical way to cook seafood quickly and deliciously put Calabash on the map as a seafood legend. The town’s seafood was not just a meal, but an experience that drew visitors from across the state and beyond.

At the center of Calabash’s success are the people who live and work there. Beyond the fishermen, the local seafood restaurants are family affairs. In the 1940s, radio and television comedian and actor, Jimmy Durante, visited Coleman’s Original Calabash Restaurant, and soon thereafter, ended his broadcasts with “Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are,” distinguishing Calabash as a mysterious, unique destination to listeners across America.

Calabash, NC, is small in size, but its impact on the seafood industry is monumental. From its beginnings as Pea Landing to becoming a renowned destination for seafood lovers, the town has maintained its connection to the ocean and the bounty it provides. With modern innovations like Local Catch, the community can continue to support sustainable fishing practices while preserving the unique Calabash-style seafood that put this charming town on the map.