On this Thanksgiving Day, as we prepare for a very traditional American feast, I’ll take time to be thankful for the tremendous variety of food now available from other countries and cultures all over the world.
I’m a great fan of the locavore movement; I know from my childhood that nothing tastes as good as food that not only comes straight from a nearby farm, but also has a distinctive local flavor. But there is also something to be said for being able to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of winter.
Even better is the opportunity to enjoy fruits, vegetables, spices, and prepared foods that were unheard of when I was growing up: sushi, satay, tandoori chicken, naan, fajitas, egg rolls, mango lassi, bok choi, passion fruit, kung pao chicken … the list is long of now-common foods that were unavailable to most Americans 50 years ago. I’d never even had a bagel till I went to college with a large crowd from New York City.
What a multicultural feast our table has become!
