While conventional wisdom tells us that Thanksgiving got its start in the 1600s when colonial settlers sat down for a tuck-in with indigenous people, the little-known truth is that T-G wasn’t an official holiday until, in 1863, then-President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise” for the nation’s blessings in the midst of the US Civil War.
History aside, the modern-day feast-fest of Thanksgiving is more about sitting down with family and friends to enjoy a grand banquet consisting of foods not typically consumed during the rest of the year.
Of course the star of a classic Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. While locally available these days, this most majestic of fowl remains unknown territory to many, so here’s what Meleagris gallopavo brings to the table: White turkey meat is slightly drier and more deeply flavourful than closest alternative, chicken. Turkey skin is also thicker, which gives it an appealingly crispy texture when oven-roasted, and meat drippings are collected from the cooking pan and mixed with flour to make gravy, which is commonly served in an spouted bowl called a gravy boat.
Because fully dressed turkeys are quite large (up to 8 kg.) the huge hollowed-out body cavity is filled with breadcrumb stuffing, a mix of toasted bread crusts/crumbs, seasoned with thyme and served as a savoury side dish.
Despite the strange-bedfellow ingredients blend, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows was quite the treat in its time, when the orange spud-cousins were novelty in northern U.S. “Yankee” states and marshmallows were made of actual organic ingredients. Another indispensable Thanksgiving side dish, mashed potatoes are considered naked if they are not slathered in the afore-mentioned gravy.
There is a perpetually ongoing question as to whether cranberry sauce is a condiment or side dish, and the dark crimson jelly is simply consumed according to one’s personal taste. The mixture of cranberries and sugar is mashed-and-mixed with other sides by some, paired on a fork with dark meat by others. But the truth is anything goes with… this wildcard dish, which is often slathered on a bread roll for the inevitable post-holiday turkey sandwiches.
The uninitiated have often expressed bewilderment at seeing tins fak thong in local supermarket import aisles—and justifiably so. In fact, pretty much the only use for canned pumpkin puree in western cooking is the timeless dessert, pumpkin pie, made by pouring the spiced and sweetened mash into a traditional piecrust. Serving the rich, typically whipped cream-topped dessert is often accompanied by pained proclamations of I can’t eat another bite, almost always followed by well, maybe just one slice. Other classic Thanksgiving pies include pecan, apple and chocolate cream.
Finally, if cooking a turkey seems like a daunting task – rest assured, it is – the process requires a large oven not to mention careful defrosting temperature monitoring. But those seeking to avoid the hassle are in luck, as many big-name international supermarkets sell pre-cooked turkeys in a variety of sizes along with all the trimmings – just order, pick-up, unpack and viola, your Thailand edition Thanksgiving feast is served.
