Relationship dynamics are seen across all mediums.
Anything from marriage to a pride of lions has complex relationship dynamics that dictate interaction between its members.
A Thanksgiving feast is no exception.
While the basic dishes have been set in cultural stone for decades, which dish is the most important remains a contentious topic.
Each dish has an important place on the plate and all are important to the Thanksgiving culture. These dishes create a dynamic meal.
Griffen Winget | Argonaut
In my opinion, gravy remains the king of Thanksgiving foods, but not for the reasons one may expect.
Let us begin our analysis at the very beginning.
Thanksgiving food consists of four main dishes: stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy. Some argue gravy is not worthy of inhabiting the same echelon as the other three. This — quite frankly — is blasphemous.
There are many dishes present at Thanksgiving, these vary from family to family. For now, let’s keep it to the big four. Each of the four has earned its place as a cornerstone for good reasons.
Turkey is the “main attraction”, the center of the meal and central to Thanksgiving culture.
As children, we create hand-turkeys to present to our parents who fawn over them until Thanksgiving week ends. Corporate America has seemingly increased the pounds a “regular” turkey should be over the years. Now, however, a 20-pound bird is barely enough to feed us.
As for the palate dynamic that turkey brings, it provides the juicy succulent bite that stuffing, and potatoes just can’t fulfill. The tryptophan lulls us into the classic post-thanksgiving meal nap, leaving us feeling full to bursting and a shade past content.
Stuffing has undergone a significant change over the years. The dish original earned its name due to being literally stuffed into the turkey and cooked right along with the bird. Now, it’s hard to beat the boxed stuffing you can find at Costco. Where turkey is succulent and meaty, stuffing is crunchy and salty. Adding that unique crunch, however, is vital to Thanksgiving’s dynamic.
Mashed potatoes can be quite versatile due to the wide range of potato types. These include russet, red and my favorite Yukon gold potatoes. Another reason potatoes are so versatile is due to the seasoning. Some will prepare their potatoes with light seasoning to complement the already salty stuffing, while others prefer the potatoes to be a salt contender, using lots of seasoning salts as well as a variety of herbs. Mashed potatoes offer the creamy buttery flavor that you miss in the savory turkey and crunchy stuffing. They act as a binding agent when trying to fit all four dishes onto one measly fork.
Finally, comes the king of Thanksgiving food — good old turkey gravy. Made from the drippings of the bird itself, gravy brings the succulence of the turkey with the saltiness of the stuffing. Gravy may go unnoticed when used in correct proportions — it’s only when you lack that vital bit of delicious juice do you truly know suffering. A lack of gravy provides for an overall dry and gummy Thanksgiving plate.
Gravy streams from dish to dish creating a flowing brown blanket of salty juicy deliciousness. It pulls everything together to create a perfect meal much like a bustling parent might pull their kids together for a short while to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.
Each of the big four earned their right as the top echelon of Thanksgiving foods. They are like a tapestry, interweaving taste to create a beautiful meal that leave us wanting more year after year.
Each dish has their own diverse taste, while still holding onto the core taste that unites Americans on an important day of Thanks.
So, while eating leftovers for the next week, think about all the ways a dynamic Thanksgiving meal carries more importance than one might think.
Griffen Winget can be reached at [email protected]