All this talk about clam chowder, and not one word about the "other" clam
chowder...

I hate to be sacrilegious, but I like Manhattan clam chowder. I guess it's
what you grow up with.

In either case, salt pork is required. The last time I needed some I ran
into the usual problem in my local Safeway. The meat case must have had 50
pounds total of fatback packages, but not a single package of salt pork. I
asked the meat person at the store that day, and she didn't understand the
difference between salt pork and fatback. So then she suggested a package of
ham chunks for seasoning. No, no, no... salt pork, fatback, ham chunks,
bacon... it all has a somewhat different taste and texture.

So I went to Shoppers Food Warehouse instead.