Thanksgiving Food is Overrated

Another year, another Thanksgiving has passed, and yet again we ask ourselves the same question. Why did we have to indulge in such an average meal? Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to show gratitude to the people closest to you, but instead of taking the time to appreciate our family, friends, and the entire year, many of us are left with disappointment clinging to our tongues. 

The undisputed star of Thanksgiving, turkey, is a constant during a holiday feast, but is also the most controversial. Although some households can find success when preparing a turkey, creating a juicy slice of meat for all to enjoy, the majority of them falter. Instead, their family and friends are left with a sandpaper-esque piece of meat that they must chew nonstop and pretend to like. Without the egregious amounts of sauces and sides surrounding the turkey, it leaves a bland taste that lingers in your mouth for the rest of the meal. 

After the holiday season, if people were to be asked their favorite protein, the majority of them would list off beef, pork, and chicken before stopping to even think about turkey. Additionally, almost nobody is willing to give turkey a taste after the festivities have ended, walking past it in the supermarket without so much as a second glance. It’s an utterly forgettable poultry that is seen more as a spectacle during the holidays than an actual source of food. Not to mention the copious amounts of prep time that is spent on a single turkey, instead of putting time into other dishes or spending time with loved ones. 

Embarrassingly enough, many households are now opting to pair turkey with a more popular meat, often honey-baked ham, to improve their overall meal.  

A traditional turkey is always prepared alongside stuffing and gravy, both of which are also notoriously disliked. A common stuffing is made of bread cubes, butter, and a mix of spices and herbs. So essentially, a boatload of buttered croutons, delicious. Additionally, gravy is a mixture of fat, flour or graham crackers, milk, and seasonings that sounds great until you find yourself overpowered by its flavor, unable to taste where the turkey ends and the stuffing begins. 

Another staple during this grand banquet is cranberry sauce, a gelatinous substance made of cranberries and who knows what, that takes the form of the very can it was served in. There really isn’t much explanation needed for why cranberry sauce should be avoided at all costs other than common sense. 

Finally, the desert, often a traditional, humble pumpkin pie. Although there aren’t many flaws with a store-bought pumpkin pie, its gummy and thick texture leads to a similarly chewy experience associated with eating slices of turkey. 

If you stop and think about what food from Thanksgiving you actually eat after the holiday season, it is never the more well-known dishes like turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole. Instead, it’s the fillers like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and the alternative proteins. 

This is why the Thanksgiving feast is more of a presentation than anything else; a way to show that you’re a part of the American festivities. In the grand scheme of things, it's a massive FOMO that Americans fall for every year, forcing ourselves to consume a meal that our taste buds don’t agree with.