Four Stories of the New World, Told in Stuffing

Whenever you seek to understand the complexities of the world, turn to food. Even in our differences, it’s our most common denominator, bringing us to the kitchen to exchange more than techniques and to the table to share more than a meal. For the United States, no meal is more symbolic of community and gratitude than Thanksgiving.

It’s incredible to think of all the families and friends across the nation sitting down to a similar meal at a common table. But it’s where these dinners differ that we find the truest story of America — the fact that it’s still being written.

For families who are new to this country, the story of Thanksgiving starts with stuffing. This humble dish, whose heritage is one of economy and ingenuity, has become the place where many immigrant families can tell their story on this holiday.

These four stuffing recipes will take you from Syria and the city of Toronto, to a Cuban-American table and a West Indian-Persian table rich with fusion and tradition. We will visit with a family whose mother found a way to preserve the flavors of Sicily in the stuffing she made for her American-born children and then we will return back home, to our own tables to find that the story of our stuffing isn’t so different after all.