Thanksgiving is a time when many Latino families, including some who have immigrated to the United States, prepare the traditional turkey while incorporating unique cultural elements.
While some Latino families prepare their Thanksgiving turkey with wine and orange juice, their recipes also feature a number of other unconventional ingredients.
A handful of them were asked to elaborate on how they prepare the turkey, what sides they provide, and what sweets they intend to have that day.
Here are some examples of how Latino families are cooking Thanksgiving meals with ingredients that highlight the unique flavors and culinary traditions of their home countries.
A Brazilian brine
Pietra Cassolato, who has been in the United States for over five years, says she marinates her turkey in a mixture of garlic, olive oil, mustard, and onion, then blends it with beer (any kind will work). She then placed it in the oven on low heat for three to five hours after letting it marinate for five hours.
Typically, this is served with potato salad, mashed potatoes, and rice. According to Cassolato, her family offers a cake or passionfruit mousse for dessert.
A bit of Peruvian pizco
Peru is well known for its extensive culinary tradition. For this reason, Luis Toledo uses a range of Peruvian spices, including aji amarillo, pizco, aji panca, and aji girasol, in addition to certain conventional components like oregano, garlic, and pepper, when preparing his turkey.
According to Toledo, he blends it, adds it to the turkey, and lets it marinate for 12 hours—ideally overnight.
He coats it with butter before placing it in the oven to cook. According to Toledo, a salad consisting of potatoes, eggs, carrots, lemon, and mayonnaise is served alongside the turkey.
A traditional Peruvian dish made with one cup of rice, one cup of water, one cup of Coke, onion, and raisins called Coca-Cola rice, which he also mentioned that he enjoys eating with it.
His family typically had ice cream or cheesecake for dessert.
Toledo stated, “Anything we have on the table that day.”
Venezuelan sweet and savory
Finding a turkey that appears clean, lean, and skinless is the first step in the preparation process for one Venezuelan family. According to Samuel Nacisso, they make a marinade with a big chopped onion, sea salt, and pepper. Soak the turkey in it for the entire night in the fridge.
To give the turkey a sweet texture, Narcisso bastes it with a mixture of guava jam and red wine while it cooks. According to him, the procedure takes many hours.
This entrée is served with chocolate cake for dessert and chicken salad.
Edgar Izquierdo told us that their preparation of turkey is a little more complex and typically involves stuffing it with raisins, onions, and olives. His family is also Venezuelan.
Izquierdo claimed that because it cooks for so long, everything you put in it simply disappears and leaves a wonderful flavor.
He serves lemon pie for dessert and Greek salad with the turkey.
He typically prepares arepas, a classic Venezuelan corn cake, for breakfast the following day, stuffing it with leftover turkey.
A Colombian family’s fruity stuffing
According to Valentina Angel, she makes the Thanksgiving turkey by filling it with berries, peaches, and apples. She places it in the oven after letting it sit for six hours.
She also adds dry nuts for crunch when the turkey is almost done.
It’s a fantastic technique to add taste. According to Angel, I also combine all the fruits to make a sauce that complements it flawlessly.
According to Angel, she serves the turkey with plantains and salad, and for dessert, she makes lemon pie.
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