Thanksgiving may be America’s grandest epicurean ritual — a luminous pause in the calendar where the country collectively exhales, gathers at overflowing tables, and gives thanks for the bounty of the season. Born from harvest traditions and steeped in gratitude, the holiday has evolved into a cultural mosaic where every family interprets the feast through the lens of heritage, geography, and memory.
Yes, the iconic roast turkey reigns supreme in the popular imagination, but step inside any home on this late-November Thursday and you’ll discover a deliciously chaotic democracy. Expect good-natured debates over whose stuffing is “real” stuffing, regional quirks that challenge tradition, and menus shaped as much by ancestral roots as by local produce. From gumbo in Louisiana to green chile in New Mexico, oyster dressing along the coasts, and sweet-potato everything across the South — Thanksgiving is an edible map of America itself.
Wherever your travels take you this holiday season, consider this your coast-to-coast guide to what might arrive on your plate — and the best places to taste each regional classic as if you were invited to the family table.
Turkey And Other Meats
Nicknamed “Turkey Day” for good reason, Thanksgiving is a national love affair with the bird — an estimated 46 million turkeys take center stage each year, and 88 percent of Americans insist it belongs on the table. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the only star of the show. There’s an entire subculture of renegades who refuse to eat (or even like) turkey on Thanksgiving. Yes, really.
Across the country, holiday spreads feature everything from honey-glazed hams and golden roast goose to decadent prime rib. Coastal families swap poultry for the ocean’s bounty: crab and lobster dinners are hardly unconventional. (If you’re a purist chasing historical accuracy, the first Thanksgiving feast likely looked more like a rustic banquet of shellfish, eel, and venison).
Travel to Maryland and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter crab cakes sharing space with stuffing. Venture elsewhere and the turkey itself becomes a playground of technique and regional bravado: brined or dry-rubbed, butter-basted or maple-glazed, roasted low and slow, smoked for hours over hickory, or riskily deep-fried — a fiery Thanksgiving tradition beloved in Texas.
And in Louisiana, prepare to meet the mythical turducken: a duck, tucked inside a chicken, tucked inside a turkey — culinary architecture at its most ambitious.
Wherever you land this holiday, one thing is certain: loosen your belt and surrender to the feast.
Thanksgiving Sides
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, the supporting cast often steals the show. Sure, the turkey may be the headline act, but the sides are what elevate the feast to full-blown decadence. After all, no Thanksgiving plate feels complete without a gleaming mountain of potatoes crowned with silky gravy.
Across the country, regional traditions take this humble side dish in wildly different directions. In much of the U.S., the words “yam” and “sweet potato” are used interchangeably, though true yams hold more sway in the western states. Candied sweet potatoes, lacquered in buttery caramel and finished with a layer of toasted marshmallows, are a beloved Southern icon that has now earned national devotion. On the West Coast, expect creamy mashed yams served in generous, sunshine-colored scoops.
Head north to Wisconsin, and the classic mash gets the local treatment: sharp Cheddar folded in for that unmistakable Midwestern richness. Wander farther west and you might do a double-take — in Hawaii, the mashed potatoes arrive in shades of vibrant violet, thanks to the prized Okinawan purple sweet potato, a staple that’s every bit as delicious as it is photogenic.
In a country where Thanksgiving is a tapestry of traditions, the sides are where families showcase identity, pride, and playful creativity — one spoonful at a time.
And then there’s gravy — the great unifier, or depending on where you’re standing, the great divider. Few Thanksgiving topics stir as much passionate debate as what constitutes a perfect gravy. Travel across the U.S. and you’ll encounter a spectrum of interpretations: velvety cream gravies poured generously across the Midwest, sage-scented pan gravies perfuming New England tables, and in New Mexico, a fiery red chile gravy that delivers Thanksgiving with a kick.
Up in the Pacific Northwest, the forests meet the feast in the form of mushroom gravy, earthy and deeply aromatic. But perhaps the most eyebrow-raising variation is found in the American South, where cooks proudly fold sliced or crumbled hard-boiled eggs into classic turkey gravy. For Southerners, it’s comfort food at its finest; for visitors, even the most devoted egg enthusiasts might need a moment to recover from the surprise.
Love it or not, regional gravy loyalty runs deep — proof that in America, Thanksgiving isn’t just a meal, it’s an identity ladled generously over mashed potatoes.
Thanksgiving Day Pies
Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like the arrival of pumpkin pie, its burnished-orange filling and warm spice perfume practically defining the holiday. That is, of course, unless you’re in the American South, where loyalties shift, and sweet potato pie holds the crown with unwavering pride — silky, amber, and deeply soulful.
Here, dessert is a fierce point of regional identity, and the pecan—North America’s most glamorous nut—steps confidently into the spotlight. In the South, it becomes a glossy, caramel-sweet pecan pie, a custard-rich masterpiece whose variations stretch from delicately creamy to nearly all-nut suspended in corn syrup. Occasionally raisins sneak in, polarizing dinner tables in the process.
Give it a jolt of bourbon and chocolate, and you’re tasting Derby pie, a Kentucky classic with a cult following. Strip away the pecans completely, crown it with billowy meringue or a soft cloud of whipped cream, and you’re looking at a Jeff Davis pie. Add cornmeal and you wander into chess pie territory — an old New England recipe that migrated south and made itself at home in Tennessee. Head north to Indiana, and the holiday table often features sugar cream pie, a pale, velvety confection of flour, vanilla, and heavy cream — essentially a pecan pie in spirit but without the nuts.
Whichever slice lands on your plate, remember: in America, Thanksgiving desserts are more than sweets — they’re maps of migration, heritage, and regional pride tucked into a flaky crust.
What else would you find on the Thanksgiving table?
Thanksgiving sides tell a story all their own, and nowhere is America’s culinary diversity more deliciously apparent than beyond the turkey platter. In New England, the coastal imprint is unmistakable, where traditional stuffing is elevated with clams or oysters, lending the dish a briny whisper of the Atlantic. Travel south to Baltimore, and you’ll find sauerkraut—a fermented cabbage salad—holding its place of honor at the table, a proud nod to Maryland’s German-American heritage.
Go west and the holiday spread becomes more playful: in the West and Southwest, families insist on serving frog eye salad, a quirky sweet pasta-and-fruit creation whose cult status is baffling to outsiders but beloved locally. Meanwhile, in New Jersey and parts of New York, the Italian-American Thanksgiving may well be the most extravagant of them all, where manicotti—pillowy ricotta-filled crepes drenched in marinara—graces the table before the turkey even arrives.
Across the Southwest, pumpkin empanadas blend American tradition with Mexican soul, filled with cinnamon-laced pumpkin and wrapped in flaky pastry. And while green bean casserole may appear on tables nationwide, it’s truly a Midwestern icon, holding court in the center of the country with crispy fried onions and creamy nostalgia.
Head down to Georgia, and dessert practically drips with Southern charm: peach pie, bursting with sun-kissed fruit and warm spice, is the state’s sweet declaration of regional pride.
From coastline to desert plain, from immigrant kitchens to generational heirloom recipes, Thanksgiving is less a single menu than a kaleidoscope of stories stitched together through food.
Drinking On Thanksgiving
Drinks are a central part of the Thanksgiving tradition. If you’re curious about what Americans prefer sipping on this holiday, Drizly, an alcohol e-commerce platform, conducted a survey on what people plan to drink with Thanksgiving dinner.
No Thanksgiving feast is complete without something good in the glass, and in the United States, drinks are as much a tradition as turkey and pie. According to a holiday survey by Drizly, the alcohol e-commerce platform, Americans have clear favorites when it comes to what they’ll be sipping on. Unsurprisingly, wine reigns supreme, with about 63% choosing it as their beverage of choice for the big meal. Red wine leads the pack—claimed by half of respondents—while a modest 10% stay loyal to white. The rest lean into beer, spirits, or non-alcoholic pours, keeping the table suitably diverse.
Beer drinkers account for 19% of the Thanksgiving crowd, while only 10% reach for liquor—a number that might surprise anyone who’s ever tried to baste a turkey while managing a kitchen full of opinions. And yes, the holiday drinking ritual kicks off early: 25% admit they start pouring in the morning, right around the time the bird hits the oven. Can you blame them? Achieving that golden skin and perfectly juicy center is enough pressure to justify a little liquid courage.
Nearly 47% wait to open bottles until the cooking is done, treating wine like a well-earned victory toast, while 23% hold off until the doorbell starts ringing and family floods in. After all, nothing pairs quite so well with small talk and seating arrangements as a glass of something smooth.
And if you’re looking for a break from the classic cabernet-or-chardonnay dilemma, consider elevating your holiday with a timeless cocktail. This year, swap the Pinot for a Classic Manhattan—a fall favorite that feels both vintage and luxurious, the perfect reward for a feast well fought.
Photo: Shutterstock
This story and the gallery have been updated with new information since its original publish date.
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