Thanksgiving: A Cornucopia of Culinary Traditions

感恩节：烹饪传统盛宴

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，英国清教徒在位于今天马萨诸塞州的普利茅斯岩登陆近一年后，与万帕诺亚格部落印第安人聚在一起，盛宴庆祝殖民者的第一次丰收。为期三天的庆典融合了印第安人和英国清教徒的习俗，并通过美味佳肴表达谢意和友谊。

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.

历史学家认为，双方当时分享的是北美地区的一些特产，如火鸡、鸭子、鹿肉、龙虾、蟹、浆果、南瓜和笋瓜。尽管当代的美国感恩节菜肴与当初有所不同，但这个节日的性质没有改变：对自己所能拥有的表示感恩，并与他人分享。

Modern Interpretation

现代解释

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.

现代感恩节大餐仍以北美地方特产为主。火鸡——无论是提前一夜腌制，涂黄油烘烤，还是在户外油炸——是感恩节的标志性食品。由于如此之多的美国人在感恩节吃火鸡，这个节日甚至常被叫做“火鸡节”。感恩节大餐上的配菜通常包括在火鸡膛内烘烤的面包馅、曼越橘酱和土豆泥，最后一道甜点是南瓜饼。

Regional Variations

地区差异

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.

火鸡和曼越橘酱虽是感恩节的典型食品，但是如何烹饪它们则因厨师而异。不同的家庭传统、族裔背景和地区风味会使各地感恩节餐宴别具特色。

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.

比如在美国东北部，感恩节餐宴的重头戏可能是涂有佛蒙特枫糖浆烧烤的蜜汁火鸡，面包馅里会添加栗子、迷迭香和百里香。在巴尔的摩，感恩节餐桌上不可没有酸泡菜——体现出这座城市早年的德国传统。

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.

美国东南部的厨师发明了一些日后在其他地区流行起来的做法。例如带牡蛎的玉米面包馅和加烤棉花糖的甜土豆——这些如今登上了美国各地餐桌。餐宴的最后一道甜点更花样层出不穷。佛罗里达人选择酸橙饼，乔治亚人偏爱山核桃饼，北卡罗来纳人钟情于甜土豆饼。

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.

美国中西部的菜谱体现出这里是美国的中心腹地。人们可以在明尼苏达州尽情享用火鸡的菰米馅，在伊利诺伊州吃到焖青豆，在密歇根州品尝曼越橘酱配樱桃。在印第安纳州，餐宴的最后一项内容有可能是柿子布丁——用当地柿子蒸成的英国梅子布丁的翻版。

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.

美国西南部的感恩节菜肴受到美国原住民、墨西哥人和西班牙人烹饪传统的影响，盛含各种香料。西南地区的厨师可能会端上带有芳香辣椒糊和小茴香涂料的火鸡，配以撒有绿辣椒末的玉米面包馅，以及拌有墨西哥烟椒的甜土豆泥。就甜点而言，南瓜饼在这里往往要让位于南瓜布丁。

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.

美国西部以丰富的农产品著称，感恩节的特色是色味新鲜。加利福尼亚的厨师可能会用大蒜、鼠尾草和百里香做火鸡调味，并在酸味面包馅中加入野蘑菇。而华盛顿州的厨师也许会用番薯泥替代土豆泥，并在面包馅中添加当地的榛子。

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.

从枫糖、栗子到大蒜和榛子，现代感恩节餐宴的地区差异不仅反映了每位厨师的独特背景，而且也体现着美国丰富的多元化。而如何将节日盛宴剩余食品创新再造，可以是又一个热烈争论——并且引来百花齐放——的话题。

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