Consumer Blog, News

Thanksgiving has gone Multicultural!

One of America’s most popular holidays, Thanksgiving has arrived. Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S were families give thanks for their blessings. It all started in 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that made it to be the first Thanksgiving celebration. For more than two centuries, days of Thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving Day an official holiday to be celebrated across the U.S in November.

As time passed, different cultures have combined in the U.S from around the world.  Each culture incorporating their traditions into a new mixed Thanksgiving Feast.  According to the Census Bureau by 2044 the majority of people in the U.S. will consist of diverse cultures. Therefore, each year we can expect different side dishes for Thanksgiving.

Asian groups for example, have a huge mix of spices in their food, and are also known for stir frying, steaming and deep frying their typical dishes. Hispanic are known to bring a variety of food which range from Tamales, Empanadas, Congris, Popusas and more. African Americans bring soul food to the feast, which is influenced by their ancestors from the south. Despite all of these delicious mixed sides, one thing remains the same, the flightless bird.

Here are a few side dishes from different cultures.

Asian Side Dishes

  • Cantonese Rice Salad
  • Baked Marinated Tofu
  • Mediterranean Bean Salad

Hispanic Side Dishes

  • Apple Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
  • Rajas de Poblano Mashed potatoes
  • Green Chile Cornbread

African American Side dishes

  • Giblet Gravy
  • Black Eye Peas
  • Collard Greens

The list goes on. To learn more about these dishes click on the links below.

Source: LAtimes, CenusBureau

http://mediterrasian.com/blog/?p=1037

http://communitytable.parade.com/229336/vianneyrodriguez/10-thanksgiving-side-dishes-with-a-latin-twist/

http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/soul-food-thanksgiving-recipes.html