Thanksgiving: A Cornucopia of Culinary Traditions

感恩節：烹飪傳統盛宴

In the autumn of 1621, almost one year after the English Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts, they gathered with the Wampanoag Indians for a feast celebrating the colonists’ first successful harvest. A blend of Native American and English Puritan customs, the three-day celebration combined eating with expressions of gratitude and friendship.

1621年秋，英國清教徒在位于今天馬薩諸塞州的普利茅斯巖登陸近一年后，與萬帕諾亞格部落印第安人聚在一起，盛宴慶祝殖民者的第一次豐收。為期三天的慶典融合了印第安人和英國清教徒的習俗，并通過美味佳肴表達謝意和友誼。

Historians believe the two groups dined on foods native to North America such as turkey, duck, venison, lobster, crab, berries, pumpkin and squash. Although the modern American Thanksgiving menu differs slightly from the original fare, the holiday’s essence remains the same: giving thanks for what you have and sharing with others.

歷史學家認為，雙方當時分享的是北美地區的一些特產，如火雞、鴨子、鹿肉、龍蝦、蟹、漿果、南瓜和筍瓜。盡管當代的美國感恩節菜肴與當初有所不同，但這個節日的性質沒有改變：對自己所能擁有的表示感恩，并與他人分享。

Modern Interpretation

現代解釋

The modern Thanksgiving meal still revolves around foods native to North America. Turkey — whether brined overnight, basted with butter in the oven or deep fried outdoors — takes center stage. In fact, so many Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving that the holiday is often referred to as “Turkey Day.” Side dishes typically include bread stuffing, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, with slices of pumpkin pie for dessert.

現代感恩節大餐仍以北美地方特產為主。火雞——無論是提前一夜腌制，涂黃油烘烤，還是在戶外油炸——是感恩節的標志性食品。由于如此之多的美國人在感恩節吃火雞，這個節日甚至常被叫做“火雞節”。感恩節大餐上的配菜通常包括在火雞膛內烘烤的面包餡、曼越橘醬和土豆泥，最后一道甜點是南瓜餅。

Regional Variations

地區差異

While the typical Thanksgiving meal consists of staple foods such as turkey and cranberry sauce, how those staples are interpreted depends largely on who is doing the cooking. Different family traditions, ethnic backgrounds and regional flavors make each Thanksgiving meal unique.

火雞和曼越橘醬雖是感恩節的典型食品，但是如何烹飪它們則因廚師而異。不同的家庭傳統、族裔背景和地區風味會使各地感恩節餐宴別具特色。

In the U.S. Northeast, for example, a Thanksgiving meal might feature a turkey glazed in Vermont maple syrup and bread dressing spruced up with chestnuts, rosemary and thyme. And no Baltimore Thanksgiving would be complete without a side dish of sauerkraut — a testament to the city’s German heritage.

比如在美國東北部，感恩節餐宴的重頭戲可能是涂有佛蒙特楓糖漿燒烤的蜜汁火雞，面包餡里會添加栗子、迷迭香和百里香。在巴爾的摩，感恩節餐桌上不可沒有酸泡菜——體現出這座城市早年的德國傳統。

Chefs in the U.S. Southeast are responsible for variations that have become popular outside their region. Southeastern concoctions such as cornbread dressing with oysters and candied sweet potatoes with roasted marshmallows are showing up on tables across America. How to finish the meal is an area for greater variation, with Floridians choosing Key lime pie, Georgians preferring pecan pie and North Carolinians opting for sweet potato pie.

美國東南部的廚師發明了一些日后在其他地區流行起來的做法。例如帶牡蠣的玉米面包餡和加烤棉花糖的甜土豆——這些如今登上了美國各地餐桌。餐宴的最后一道甜點更花樣層出不窮。佛羅里達人選擇酸橙餅，喬治亞人偏愛山核桃餅，北卡羅來納人鐘情于甜土豆餅。

The bill of fare in the U.S. Midwest honors the region’s status as America’s heartland. Diners might gobble up wild rice dressing in Minnesota, green bean casserole in Illinois and cranberry sauce with cherries in Michigan. Folks in Indiana might finish their meal with persimmon pudding, a steamed pudding similar to England’s plum pudding that features the local persimmon fruit.

美國中西部的菜譜體現出這里是美國的中心腹地。人們可以在明尼蘇達州盡情享用火雞的菰米餡，在伊利諾伊州吃到燜青豆，在密歇根州品嘗曼越橘醬配櫻桃。在印第安納州，餐宴的最后一項內容有可能是柿子布丁——用當地柿子蒸成的英國梅子布丁的翻版。

Inspired by Native American, Mexican and Spanish culinary traditions, a Thanksgiving menu in the U.S. Southwest may feature plenty of spice. Southwestern chefs might serve turkey rubbed in ancho chile paste and cumin alongside cornbread dressing dotted with green chiles and whipped sweet potatoes infused with chipotle peppers. Pumpkin flan might take pumpkin pie’s place as the preferred Thanksgiving dessert.

美國西南部的感恩節菜肴受到美國原住民、墨西哥人和西班牙人烹飪傳統的影響，盛含各種香料。西南地區的廚師可能會端上帶有芳香辣椒糊和小茴香涂料的火雞，配以撒有綠辣椒末的玉米面包餡，以及拌有墨西哥煙椒的甜土豆泥。就甜點而言，南瓜餅在這里往往要讓位于南瓜布丁。

A region renowned for its plentiful produce, the U.S. West boasts a fresh Thanksgiving flavor. Cooks in California might season their turkeys with garlic, sage and thyme and incorporate wild mushrooms into their sourdough dressing. Their counterparts in Washington might substitute mashed yams for potatoes and sprinkle local hazelnuts into their dressing.

美國西部以豐富的農產品著稱，感恩節的特色是色味新鮮。加利福尼亞的廚師可能會用大蒜、鼠尾草和百里香做火雞調味，并在酸味面包餡中加入野蘑菇。而華盛頓州的廚師也許會用番薯泥替代土豆泥，并在面包餡中添加當地的榛子。

From maple syrup and chestnuts to garlic and hazelnuts, the regional variations of the modern Thanksgiving meal reflect not only the unique history of each cook, but also the rich diversity of America. How to repurpose the holiday’s leftover food is yet another area of great debate — and variation.

從楓糖、栗子到大蒜和榛子，現代感恩節餐宴的地區差異不僅反映了每位廚師的獨特背景，而且也體現著美國豐富的多元化。而如何將節日盛宴剩余食品創新再造，可以是又一個熱烈爭論——并且引來百花齊放——的話題。

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