Celia Liu and Crystal Wang
Thanksgiving is a popular holiday that celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year, as well as a day to show your thanks to the things and people around you. In the U.S., it is also known as the day the pilgrims of the Plymouth colony and the Native Americans of the Wampanoag tribe held a harvest feast together known as the “First Thanksgiving.”
Many of the celebratory foods eaten today on this thankful holiday, such as the iconic turkey and pie, were modeled after what was believed to be eaten by the Natives and Pilgrims that day. While not every country celebrates Thanksgiving, every country does have a dish that is typically eaten during holidays or celebrations. In this article we asked a few students of Cardozo what their culture typically eats during celebrations or holidays.
Greece
Tiropita is an appetizer that is served during many celebrations, such as Christmas, weddings, and Greek Easter. It is a puff pastry filled with feta cheese, a crumbly Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk. There is a similar version of this dish called Spanakopita, which instead of Feta cheese, is filled with spinach.
Mexico
Tamales is a traditional Mesoamerican dish that is used to celebrate Las Posadas, which is a festival used to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is typically celebrated around December 16th-24th. The dish is made of masa, a corn-based dough, and is typically filled with a meat or bean filling.
Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread that is eaten for Día de Los Reyes, on January 6th, 12 days after Christmas. The bread is supposed to have at least small plastic toy babies inside of it, and the people who receive the slices with the babies in them must cook tamales for everyone on February 2nd, also known as Candelaria Day.
Lebanon
Felafel is a deep-fried dish that is typically eaten in most celebrations. They are deep-fried balls or discs made up of mashed-up herbs and chickpeas mixed with spices and are commonly served with a dipping sauce such as tahini sauce, hummus, or garlic sauce.
China
Steamed fish is a dish typically eaten during Chinese New Year. The fish is served whole and is meant to be shared by the whole table. Like the name says, it is a whole fish that is steamed and then served with light soy sauce, sliced scallion, and ginger over it. The dish is usually paired with a bowl of white rice and various other dishes.
Hong Kong
Suckling Pig is a whole piglet that is served at various celebrations and is meant to be shared by the whole table. It is roasted till the skin is crispy and then served with sweet bread with hoisin sauce. There is a similar dish that originates in Beijing China called Peking Duck, but instead of a pig, it is a duck, which is served the same way.
Guyana
Pepperpot is a stew that is typically eaten during Christmas time. It is a stew that consists of either beef, mutton, or pork with various spices and peppers. It is sometimes served with plait bread, or some people like to pair it with white rice and other dishes.
Bangladesh
Biryani is a rich mixed rice dish that is typically served during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. It is made of rice, some type of meat, either chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, or fish and spices. The meat can be substituted for vegetables for vegetarians and sometimes eggs or potatoes are added.
Shemei or Sweet Vermicelli Pudding is a dessert that is eaten during Eid al-Fitr. It is made of roasted vermicelli noodles, milk that is cooked in spices, and cream with sugar. It is sometimes topped with dried fruit or assortments of nuts.
