When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? Is it your grandmother’s homemade applesauce, your aunt’s pumpkin pie, or the turkey your uncle spent hours preparing?
For many, Thanksgiving is all about the food served and the memories shared, both of which are driven by family traditions.
Source: Nicholas Maisano, Staff Writer and Photographer
Sophomore Alex de la Teja and his family celebrate Thanksgiving with an array of traditional dishes.
“We always have turkey as the main dish, but my favorite parts of the meal are the sides,” said de la Teja. “Our family makes bread stuffing, and my aunt makes meat stuffing. I love the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows as well.”
One of de la Teja’s favorite side dishes comes from his Colombian abuela: arroz con gandules, or rice and peas in English.
“My abuela and I make rice with peppers, onions, garlic, and tomato paste,” said de la Teja. “Then she puts these gandules in and mixes it all together. It’s a very savory dish.”
Sophomore Isabella DeSouza’s family comes from Brazil, and they have a mix of American and Brazilian foods during the holiday.
“Some of the classic dishes that we have are turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy,” said DeSouza. “For Brazilian dishes, we have rice, Tropeiro, which is a traditional bean dish, and a pulled pork version of stuffing.”
The pulled pork stuffing is a staple at DeSouza’s table during Thanksgiving dinner, and the recipe behind it goes back generations.
“The stuffing recipe comes from my grandma, and it’s made with toasted cassava flour, carrots and pulled pork,” said DeSouza. “It’s something that we have every year, and we can’t go without it.”
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, sophomore Gianmarco Pirri and his family enjoy some traditional dishes as well as some Italian favorites.
“My family eats the usual Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and cornbread,” said Pirri. “We also have an Italian wedding soup that my aunt makes every Thanksgiving.”
“My favorite food to have at Thanksgiving is my grandma’s Lebanese stuffing,” said sophomore Emma Goodreau.“I look forward to having this dish every year.”
Aside from the main dinner courses, dessert is another aspect of Thanksgiving that offers delicious options.
“The dessert I like the most is the tres leches,” said de la Teja. “We get the best tres leches cake for dessert from a local bakery in my town.”
“My favorite dessert is hands down Brazilian carrot cake with brigadeiro, which can be compared to fudge, but in my opinion, is a lot better,” said DeSouza.
Brigadeiro is a Brazilian chocolate. When making the carrot cake, the brigadeiro is poured over it to create a delicious, chocolatey outer coating.
Although Thanksgiving is a predominantly American holiday, dishes from other cultures make the table, with recipes rooted in family history.
“My favorite part of Thanksgiving is being able to share a great meal with my family, while enjoying traditional recipes that have been passed down for many years,” said de la Teja.
