On Thanksgiving, are you TEAM DUCK or TEAM TURKEY?

On the American holiday Thanksgiving, are you TEAM DUCK or TEAM TURKEY?

Having immigrated to the U.S. not long before I was born, my parents always were mystified at the American turkey tradition. Every year, Dad would ask, “Why do Americans eat turkey? It’s so dry!”

And then, he’d go out to buy a Peking duck.

To him, the idea of roasting a turkey was totally foreign. Two problems:

• Eating a meat apparently devoid of fat or flavor;

• Roasting that meat in an oven.

You see, ovens aren’t really a thing in Chinese cooking. We used ours only to store pots and pans.

Still, growing up surrounded by Thanksgiving turkey culture, I developed a serious case of FOMO.

One year, Dad finally agreed to give it a try.

An MIT engineer, he did all the research, chose the perfect turkey size, and bought everything for the fixings.

Thanksgiving Day arrived.

All afternoon, Dad stood by the oven, peering inside at this giant bird, wondering and worrying over whether it was done.

It was really stressful. No one ever did get around to making all those side dishes. When he finally took the turkey out, he took one bite and declared: “Dry.”

That was the end of our family's adventures with Thanksgiving turkeys.

Fast forward, decades later, I married Dave, whose Dad was Hungarian and whose Mom is Italian. Every year, my incredible mother-in-law makes Thanksgiving for 40 look effortless, with a spread that includes turkey AND lasagna. 🦃

And so, over the years, I’ve grown to think of the “Duck vs Turkey” debate as a binary one, based on whether we would spend the holiday with my side of the family (TEAM DUCK) or Dave's (TEAM TURKEY).

So imagine my delight when I came across this headline in the Pasadena Star News:
💥 “That’s not duck hanging in Chinese restaurants, it’s Thanksgiving turkey—and it looks amazing.” 💥

Yes, folks, Peking-Duck-Style Thanksgiving Turkey is now a thing.

A uniquely American invention.

This uniquely American creation combines the best of both worlds:

• Thin, crispy skin and moist, flavorful meat, seasoned with Chinese spices like anise and licorice.

• Stuffed with aromatics like onions, garlic, and celery.

• Served with steamed buns and hoisin sauce instead of stuffing.

How fantastic!

It seems to me that Peking Duck Style Thanksgiving Turkey represents the very best of what America stands for.

We need not choose between the cultures of our old and new countries.

We can mix and match traditions in just the way that makes us happy. 🐥

Our nation may not yet fully embody our ideals, but they are our ideals.

And for this, I am hashtag#thankful. 🌈

😋 I’d love to hear from you:
What Thanksgiving traditions did YOU grow up with, if any?