Across Colorado, cultural flavors find space on the Thanksgiving table
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DENVER — When Thanksgiving rolls around, traditional American dishes are at the forefront of many dinner parties: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc.
However, many communities and families in Colorado approach the American holiday differently, serving distinct cuisines at family gatherings across the state.
Hominy Creamy Mushroom Soup
In 2019, Ocean and Mpho Mapoulo realized how much they missed the South African flavors they grew up eating in Soweto. The couple shared their cooking through their business, Taste of Soweto, at pop-up events and celebrations before transitioning to a full-fledged food truck in 2021.
Since then, they’ve been able to share the cuisine and food they grew up eating with a Denver audience.
“Denver is different. I love how [the city] embraces all different cultures and foods,” said Ocean.
Mpho said he was surprised with the reception to South African food in Denver. Many people who order from their food truck have visited Soweto or Cape Town in South Africa, he said.
The couple didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving when they lived in Soweto, but here, the Mapoulos make time to celebrate the American holiday with their family. They believe food — specifically South African food — brings their family together. They have four children and have accustomed them to their native cuisine.
“It would be a disservice to our children if we didn't orientate them in the food that people where we come from eat on a regular [basis],” said Mpho.
“It would be a disservice to our children if we didn't orientate them in the food that people where we come from eat on a regular [basis],” said Mpho.
For Thanksgiving, the family loves filling meals.
Ocean prepares a hominy mushroom soup with South African sides such as atchar (pickled vegetables and fruit) and pickled beets. Her ingredients were laid out next to the sink, portioned perfectly.
“I cannot work in a messy kitchen, it drives me crazy,” Ocean said as she moved dirty utensils over to the sink.
The dish is hearty in every way, loaded up with cream cheese, heavy cream, butter and Campbell’s canned cream of mushroom soup. With a base of za'atar, six gun spice (a South African spice blend), the dish draws inspiration from South Africa with Ocean’s own twist.
As the couple sat down to eat their lunch, Mpho put down his spoon emphatically after the first bite, leaned back and said to Ocean, “You outdid yourself with this one.”
Fried Rice
In Vietnam, cơm chiên (fried rice) is a staple dish at almost any big gathering. The dish differs from fried rice dishes in other countries because its base seasoning is typically fish sauce. Other than that, the dish varies drastically depending on whoever makes it.
While one family might make it with spam and frozen vegetables, another family might make it with Chinese sausage and eggs.
“Everyone has their way of making it,” said Nguyet Nguyen, a home cook.
Vegetables and seasoning bottles are organized, prepped, and ready to go on top of her stove. Bowls of different ingredients are crammed next to one another on the unused burners. Nguyen heats up just one burner with a big pot on top.
Nguyen said fried rice is an essential dish for the Vietnamese because it’s the grounding dish to whatever feast you’re a part of — especially on Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is not typically celebrated in Vietnam or recognized as a national holiday. However, Nguyen grew up in a church that celebrated the holiday, and when she immigrated to the United States in the early 2000s, it became a yearly tradition for her.
“It’s a time when the family can gather, and we can all be thankful for all we have. And of course, we eat. We eat a lot,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen has been in charge of making fried rice for her Thanksgiving celebrations at church and in the extended family for as long as she can remember.
Her fried rice is always the same, a five-meat combo with a vegetable medley sprinkled throughout, flavored with a base of garlic and fish sauce.
The process isn’t necessarily hard; she said it’s more about patience.
“You have to let the rice dry out overnight. If it doesn’t dry, your fried rice will be soggy,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen cooks enough fried rice to feed more than one hundred people every Thanksgiving. She brings her trays of fried rice to church and family gatherings. She said she never has leftovers.
“I keep it simple. I make something they know, and they love it,” said Nguyen.
Mansaf (with chicken)
“My kids don’t like lamb, that’s why we’re doing it with chicken,” said Fiham Al-Jarah, a home cook from Jordan, as she began cooking a less-than-traditional Mansaf dish.Mansaf is traditionally made with lamb dipped in fermented yogurt sauce and served with rice. A national dish in Jordan, its popularity grew in the 20th century.
Her sons all sat on the couch chatting while watching the TV as Al-Jarah moved across her kitchen, carrying two pots of soaked rice over to the sink. Occasionally, an adhan (call to prayer) rang out around the house among the noise of the kitchen and TV.
Al-Jarah says that mansaf is often served when an important guest, such as the king visits. On this day, however, she didn’t need a special guest. She was making it for her sons and husband.
Al-Jarah says that mansaf is often served when an important guest, such as the king visits. On this day, however, she didn’t need a special guest. She was making it for her sons and husband.
Al-Jarah has been cooking since she was a teenager and learned from her mother. When she came to the United States in 1997, she cooked to feed her family.
Her enjoyment grew as she started to love seeing others eat her food.
“If I cook something that takes too much time, and I put it there and [they] eat all of it, I just feel like, ‘Okay! I did something!’” Al-Jarah said.
Al-Jarah made the dish a simple one, relying on the yogurt sauce to carry the flavors of the dish.
She makes Mansaf for celebrations and when the whole family is together because it can feed a lot of people and it’s simple to make. Al-Jarah plated the rice in a huge platter, and put the chicken on top of the rice, garnishing the plate with almonds and pine nuts.
While the family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, they take the opportunity to eat together and be in each other’s company since they all have the day off.
“I don’t know how many opportunities I have left with all of [my sons] here. So I’m happy they’re still here today,” said Al-Jarah.