The United States is a very large and diverse country, so it should come as no surprise to realize that we don't all celebrate the same way. There are certain regional food traditions that may seem strange in one area but perfectly normal in another, such as Baltimore embracing its German roots by serving up sauerkraut along with the turkey or southwestern states dishing out the oddity known as frog-eye salad.
It's not just foods that differ from one region to the next, though. In certain parts of the country, they've adopted some rather unique Thanksgiving traditions. Some of them are entertaining and some are heartwarming, while others make us truly thankful that we don't live next door.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Turkey - how it's cooked
Most common side is squash! More than half of the tables in the Northeast will have squash on them, compared to less than 20 percent in the rest of the country. roast, sauté or bake a side dish with either savory or sweet ingredients.
Sauerkraut and Crab cakes- Maryland region
Hasty pudding and Stuffing with clams/oysters- New England region
Cranberry relish
Lobster
Sausage stuffings are more common in the east,
German heritage, you'll often find sauerkraut on the table in Baltimore, MD.
New England
According to Taste of Home, New England is also ground zero for a Thanksgiving tradition centered around dried corn. They explain that the legend known as the "Five Kernels of Corn" is told to remind us of the hardships faced by the pilgrims. It also serves as one of those exercises in gratitude without which no elementary school lesson on Thanksgiving would be complete.
If you want to use the kernels as an exercise in gratitude, you can use the first kernel to say thank you for the autumn beauty. The second kernel is to remind us for the love we have for each other. Kernel three reminds us of the love of our chosen deity or higher power, while kernel four reminds us to be grateful for our friends. For the fifth and last kernel, we should remember to give thanks for our freedom.
creamed onions
concord grape pie
Indian pudding
Southern
The Southeast is full of so many different flavor palates that it can be hard to know where to start. Instead of loading their table with vegetables, southerners often pile on the carbs. Mac and cheese is the most common side for people in this region. Candied sweet potatoes are more popular than yams, especially if you put roasted marshmallows on top.
stuffing is refered to as dressing
Down here, you'll see a lot of variations on traditional recipes. Instead of bread stuffing, you'll find cornbread stuffing with oysters and other Southern specialties. In Louisiana, specifically in the heart of Creole culture, you might not even find a turkey on the table. If you're looking for a spicy alternative, try infusing seafood into the meal with a shrimp and sausage boil.
Having grown up near the Chesapeake Bay in Southeast Virginia, crab is a ubiquitous part of Southern Thanksgiving traditions,
When it comes to dessert, you've got plenty of options in the Southeast. In Florida, you'll see fresh key lime pie. In Georgia, pecan pie is the favorite. North Carolina shuns both of those in favor of sweet potato pie. If your family tends to stick to apple or pumpkin, try one of these sweet favorites to shake things up.
Take a deboned chicken, stuff it inside a deboned duck, and then again tuck it inside a deboned turkey—and you've got yourself a classic Southern turducken.
Collard greens are practically a Southern status symbol
Kentucky - "For dessert, it was always a sunshine bar. The bars are a pumpkin bar with cinnamon and a drizzle of icing on top
Derby pie kentucky
In the South, sweet corn is often whipped up into a thick, creamy pudding with a delicious custardy consistency.
Virginia - sweet potato biscuits
gsweet tea with Kentucky bourbon
canned cranberries
hearty casserole
sweet potato casserole - alabama https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-sweet-potato-casserole-with-marshmallows
Sweet potato pie
Pecan pie-Georgia
Candied sweet potatoes
Macaroni and cheese
Shrimp and sausage boil-Louisiana
Derby pie-Kentucky
Fried Turkey-Texas
hot brown casserole - kentucky https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/kentucky-hot-brown-casserole-recipe
jambalaya and crawfish dressing - louisiana https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/best-jambalaya
fried catfish and mississippi mud pie - mississippi https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/fried-catfish https://www.southernliving.com/mississippi-mud-pie-7109059
BBQ turkey and corn pudding casserole - north carolina
Midwest
known as America's heartland,
Midwest cooks have turkey like the rest of us, but instead of roasting it in the oven, they might just smoke their bird or toss it in the deep fryer.They're also more likely to have ham and even brisket on the table so you'll never go hungry.
Green bean casserole is also downright mandatory at a Midwestern Thanksgiving. Cream of mushroom soup is basically its own food group in this region.
For some reason, many Midwesterners report that holiday dinners include a dessert that has no name but is always made up of Jell-O, fruit and whipped cream.
Cheesy mashed potatoes-Wisconsin region
Wild rice casserole-common in Minnesota
classic develid eggs
corn casserole and the souffle-like corn spoon bread are common Thanksgiving accompaniments throughout the South and Midwest.
rolls
funeral potatoes
ham
sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
classic stuffing
cranberry sauce
corn casserole
ambrosia salad
The pecan, North America’s finest nut-based contribution to the culinary world, is the star of the show in this custard pie specialty of the South. To many families, pecan pie trumps all other desserts. Endless variations can be found, ranging from very custardy pies to almost pure nut and corn syrup pies. Sometimes a raisin shows up for a visit.
Add chocolate and bourbon, and you get a Derby pie, a Kentucky specialty. Remove the pecans entirely, top it with meringue or dollop of whipped cream and you'd end up with a Jeff Davis pie. Add cornmeal and you're in chess pie territory, an old New England recipe that settled in Tennessee and surrounding states. In Indiana you'll find the sugar cream pie, a white flour and cream pie that's another variation of the pecan-free pecan pie.
Persimmon pudding - Indiana
Southwest
Southwest is full of flavor, nodding at the region's Latin heritage. Many menu options have plenty of spice and a Latin twist.
Instead of stuffing, you can find cornbread-chorizo dressing on the table. Sweet potatoes may be rolled into tamales and your mashed potatoes can be flavored with chipotle and corn.
You can even try baking some chili peppers in the pumpkin pie if your guests like a bit of a kick. In the Southwest, however, some might prefer pumpkin flan instead of having traditional pie at all.
Pumpkin empanadas-New Mexico/Arizona region
red chile gracy - new mexico
Northwest
The Northwestern part of our great country is known for its fresh-grown food,stuff their turkey with fresh herbs from their garden or a local farmer's market.
farm-to-table experience
West
Frog eye salad
Green bean casserole
Mushroom gravy
sourdough and apple stuffing.
Mashed yams are a Thanksgiving staple of the West.
Jello salad - Common additions for the popular Utah treat include cottage cheese, pineapple, celery, carrot, walnuts, canned mandarin oranges and maraschino cherries. in utah
Okinawan purple sweet mashed/baked potatoes-Hawaiian
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