GIVING THANKS FOR
Multicultural Food Traditions It is time to highlight the diverse ways families and friends celebrate thanksgiving by integrating their own cultural traditions. Text by Whitney Welbaum | Illustrations by Harlow Arcaro
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hanksgiving is a time to give thanks, enjoy time with family, and, of course, stuff your face with food. But sometimes Thanksgiving tables don’t always look the same. Thanksgiving traditions don’t have to be all from the same cookie-cutter mold. This year, let’s celebrate Thanksgiving dinner tables that highlight unique cultural food traditions.
A Chinese-America Thanksgiving Dinner My Thanksgiving dinner spread is the best of both worlds. My father grew up in Ohio, and my grandmother always prepared the iconic American dishes for the family. My mother’s family, on the other hand, is Chinese, and food is a major part of our culture and traditions. In addition to Thanksgiving comfort foods, such as ham, cranberry sauce, and au gratin potatoes, we prepare Chinese dishes such as roast meat or protein and stir fry. My family also serves steamed or fried fish, a symbol of luck, as one of the centerpieces of the table, giving me a sense of comfort and excitement. On Thanksgiving Day, the aroma of roast duck is the first thing that I smell when I walk into my house. Duck is one of my mother’s favorite foods, and we only have it during special occasions, including Thanksgiving. It is prepared with a soy sauce base, hours in advance, and cooks it for at least an hour. Sometimes we add air under the skin using an empty syringe to make the outside more crispy. This technique is often used when preparing Peking duck, a staple dish from Beijing. Turkey is something that we typically only have on Thanksgiving, so the smell instantly reminds me of the holiday and builds anticipation for dinner. In addition to all the deeper meanings and symbolism, having both of my parents’ food represented at the dinner table gives me a sense of comfort and belonging that I look forward to every year.
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