Why Does Cranberry & Turkey Pair So Well Together? - Mokas Cafe (2024)

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Why Does Cranberry & Turkey Pair So Well Together? - Mokas Cafe? ›

Turkey is often dry, salty, and bland, which makes it the perfect partner for something sweet and moist. Cranberries are not overly sweet. Their tartness pairs well with the more bland-tasting turkey.

Cranberries are one of the only Native American fruits

Other than that, we can only speculate as to what was on the menu. Native Americans were known to eat cranberries regularly and use them as a natural dye for clothing, so chances are they were found on Thanksgiving Day, 1621.

And no turkey would be complete without a companion of tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. We're making ours from tart fresh cranberries quickly cooked with a little shallot, vinegar and sugar. (Chefs, be sure to choose a sheet pan with higher sides for your turkey—you'll be adding water to keep it juicy in the oven.)

Sugar was not widely available at the time so cranberry sauce, as we know it, was most likely not a part of the feast. The pemmican dish evolved over time and cranberries eventually became a popular ingredient in settlers' diets.

In winter, turkeys forage on fruits that persist above the snow such as hophornbeam, burdock ash seeds, red cedar berries, grapes, highbush cranberries, beech and hemlock buds, and waste grains from spread manure and corn silage.

As one of the very few commercially grown fruits native to the United States, the cranberry symbolically represents an American harvest on our holiday tables.

The 10 foods are: apples, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, cranberries, green beans, potato, pumpkin, sweet corn, sweet potato, and, of course, turkey.

Cranberries are not overly sweet. Their tartness pairs well with the more bland-tasting turkey. Our palates would be bored by singular tastes. Instead, we instinctively enjoy foods that combine the right types of textures and flavors in one exceptional bite.

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling are excellent choices to accompany your turkey dinner. Sauvignon Blanc is a light and citrusy wine that compliments turkey well, as it doesn't overpower the dish's flavor. Chardonnay is a more robust white wine featuring notes of vanilla and butter.

An account from the American colonies in 1672 mentions the ways that both Native Americans and European settlers used cranberries, "boyling them with sugar for a sauce to eat with their meat." And one of cranberry's earliest documented appearances with turkey can be found in the 1796 cookbook American Cookery, where ...

Did the first Thanksgiving really happen? ›

"We know it took place over three days sometime between mid-September and early November in 1621, and was considered a harvest celebration following a successful planting of multicolored flint corn, or maize," says Sheehan. It wasn't until 1863, during the Civil War, that Thanksgiving became a national holiday.

Cranberry sauce — along with turkey, sweet potatoes, and pie of course — is a must on every Thanksgiving table. Sweet and tangy with a brilliant jewel tone, it's the perfect complement to the relatively mild-flavored turkey and turkey sandwiches.

"Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture," says the United American Indians of New England. They've marked the occasion as a day of mourning for 48 years, according to Native Hope.

Are Cranberries Safe for Dogs to Eat? Both fresh and dried cranberries are safe to feed to dogs in small quantities. Whether your dog will like this tart treat is another question. Either way, moderation is important when feeding cranberries to dogs, as with any treat, as too many can lead to an upset stomach.

Still, they are known to be eaten by deer, moose, foxes, raccoons, chipmunks, squirrels, skunks, mice, rabbits, grouse, pheasants, robins, cedar waxwings, and other songbirds. They are not normally eaten by birds until after they have frozen and thawed several times.

Technically, cranberries are safe for squirrels. Nevertheless, a high amount of sugar is not good for them.

The Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey called cranberry pakim, meaning bitter berry. They also used cranberries as a symbol of peace and friendship. Native Americans also used cranberries for dying rugs or blankets, and as medicine for treating wounds and preventing illness.

Pemmican was the original power food as this provision provided energy, lasted for months, and was easily portable on long journeys. Following the Pilgrims reliance on the fruit, cranberries became vital for North American fur traders and explorers during the long winter months.

Cranberries were eaten by Native Americans and used as a potent red dye, but sweetened cranberry relish was almost certainly not on the first Thanksgiving table. The pilgrims had long exhausted their sugar supply by November 1621.

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, you likely have started planning the Thanksgiving menu or if you are not responsible for the food, you are planning what you will eat. Besides the obvious turkey, one of the symbols of the holiday is the cranberry.