If you’re an American who lives in China, you might have been wondering how you can celebrate Thanksgiving when all the traditional Thanksgiving foods aren’t available.
But, don’t worry; Chinese Thanksgiving isn’t that different from its American counterpart. It’s pretty much the same, just in China!
So, if you want to find out what Chinese people eat on Thanksgiving and how to cook it, look no further than this article! We’ve got everything you need to know about Chinese Thanksgiving here!
They’re listed below;
- Fish Cake Soup
- Mongolia Hot Pot
- Sushi and Sashimi
- Roast Duck
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Ginger Pumpkin Meringue Pie
- Sweet Potato Tempura
- Broccoli With Garlic Sauce
- Egg Drop Soup
- Honey-Hoisin Sweet Potatoes
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Stir-fried Green Beans
- Fried Rice (With Extra Veggies!)
- Wonton Soup
- Gravy Made From Shitake Butter
- Mochi and Pumpkin Pie
Fish Cake Soup
Fish cake soup is typically one of the Chinese Thanksgiving food. As a staple of Hong Kong cuisine, fish cake soup is served in various varieties of traditional American Chinese restaurants.
For your next holiday meal, we suggest trying one of these variations. In Shanghai, it’s made with hot pot ingredients like noodles and vegetables.
However, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, it’s often served with dumplings which are also delicious. This Dish is cheap and healthy as long as you steer clear of processed fish cake with additives or chemicals.
Mongolia Hot Pot
We will also discuss Mongolia’s hot pot in this article on Chinese Thanksgiving food. Mongolia is well known for its highly spiced cuisine.
One traditional Dish, called shuurgui, has ingredients such as lamb, meatballs, potato, pumpkin, and spices. These spices are cooked in water at a boiling point.
The Mongolians believe that foods are best when eaten with other flavors. It may be sometimes spicy, and there’s nothing like a hot pot to encourage mixing different tastes! Cooking styles vary from family to family and region to region.
But, one thing remains: Hot Pot is deeply embedded in Mongolia’s culture. Be sure not to miss it if you go there during your stay! Who knows? Maybe it’ll become part of American culture too?
Sushi and Sashimi
Sushi and Sashimi are examples of Chinese Thanksgiving food and are a new twist on a classic Thanksgiving tradition. What’s better than turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy? Sushi rolls, of course!
Interestingly, Sashimi is also great for your health. Thanks to its high protein content. It contains about 80% lean protein (contrasted with lean meats like chicken or fish, which only have about 60-70%).
Since Sashimi is so low in calories (many dishes are less than 100 calories per serving), you can eat it freely.
Your guests will love these flavorful alternatives, and you’ll be happy knowing they aren’t sacrificing any health benefits. Just make sure not to overdo it with wasabi.
Honestly, wasabi is delicious, but too much can cause a burning sensation in your mouth. Chinese Thanksgiving food is worth going for!
Roast Duck
The next thing to consider in this article on Chinese Thanksgiving food is roast duck. While most of us think of turkey when we think of Thanksgiving, roast duck is a dish. It is common in many Asian countries.
In actuality, roast duck might not be as traditional as that fresh-from-the-oven-turkey. However, it has just as much flavor.
The best part about preparing roast duck for a large group is that it’s pretty simple. Toss some raw duck into a roasting pan and let it cook alongside your favorite stuffing and potatoes.
Happily, top it with hoisin sauce or plum sauce for an extra punch! Your guests will thank you! Chinese Thanksgiving food! You are there already!
Kung Pao Chicken
Importantly, this classic Sichuan dish is a must-have at any Thanksgiving dinner. Stir-frying chicken or shrimp make it with chili peppers, garlic, peanuts, and fresh ginger in a wok.
Kung pao chicken is both fiery and flavorful. Meanwhile, to have an even more authentic taste, you need to add chilies with seeds for an added kick.
Serve your kung pao chicken alongside steamed rice for a real treat. Chinese Thanksgiving food cannot be underestimated!
Ginger Pumpkin Meringue Pie
Amazingly, ginger pumpkin is a welcome addition to any family table during thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations.
Ginger pumpkin meringue pie is a delicious, subtly and spicy dessert. The creamy filling with pumpkin and fresh ginger goes perfectly with rich egg whites.
The egg whites are beaten and then cooked in a water bath. This is done until they form a fluffy topping that tastes like marshmallows.
A small dash of cinnamon adds additional spice, while honey-sweetened whipped cream completes each slice as a finish.
Ginger pumpkin meringue pie can be served as part of an elegant holiday menu alongside your favorite savory dishes.
It can also be presented at an after-dinner party as part of finger food options with other sweet delicacies. Ginger pumpkin is a delicious delicacy of Chinese Thanksgiving food.
Sweet Potato Tempura
I’m a huge fan of vegetables for those who know me. Sweet potatoes, examples of Chinese Thanksgiving food, are no exception. They make a great alternative to traditional candied yams.
One of my favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes is in tempura form. It’s crispy, sweet, and goes with just about anything. As a bonus, everyone loves tempura!
Typically, this recipe uses fresh sweet potatoes (yum!) but feel free to use canned if that’s what you have on hand. If you use canned, make sure they are not packed in syrup. But at least rinse them.
Broccoli With Garlic Sauce
Garlic sauce, an example of Chinese Thanksgiving food, is featured in some dishes for special occasions like Chinese New Year.
It is also one of the best-known health foods. Garlic has a long history of use as traditional medicine and aromatic food.
Surprisingly, the bulb contains healthy vitamins and minerals that are good for your overall health, including vitamin C, calcium, selenium, and manganese.
It also contains dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to help protect against cancer.
The natural sulfur compounds found in garlic have been linked to healthy aging by boosting immunity and lowering cholesterol levels, among other things.
Furthermore, research shows that eating garlic regularly may lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. It potentially reduces your risk of heart disease while improving circulation.
Egg Drop Soup
Another example of Chinese Thanksgiving food is egg drop soup, one of my favorite meals. It’s a simple dish but has incredible complexity in terms of texture and flavor.
Egg yolks are beaten into warm stock to create a dense, rich texture best described as savory custard. Later, a combination of cornstarch and water is used to create thin sheets of the solidified egg.
The egg that falls into the soup as you stir it. At least an hour before serving, I cook sliced pork belly over low heat until all its fat renders out.
Also, until its meat gets crispy. It’s then removed from the heat so that it can cool entirely while we make our broth.
Honey-Hoisin Sweet Potatoes
The next delicacy to look at when it comes to Chinese Thanksgiving food is honey-hoisin sweet potatoes. Let’s face it! When you have many people to feed on Turkey Day, who wants to stand over a hot stove? Who wants to Fry’s d? Am I sweet potatoes?
Honestly, It’s tiring and not very fun. That’s why I love making Honey-Hoisin Sweet Potatoes. They taste just as good as traditional candied yams but take far less effort.
Furthermore, Here’s how to make them. Slice two large sweet potatoes in half and brush with canola oil. Roast at 350 F for 20 minutes or until tender (they should be soft).
Also, add 1/2 cup brown sugar, two tablespoons of honey, three tablespoons of hoisin sauce, and one tablespoon of soy sauce to a small bowl. Kudos to Chinese Thanksgiving food.
Hot and Sour Soup
The best thing about hot and sour soup is that it’s a pick-me-up for your mouth. Meaning that if you’re feeling fatigued after a meal, it will help wake you up (with some spice to boot).
Hot and sour soup is also known as Wei zhu tang in Mandarin. So if you’re looking for an ideal delicacy of Chinese thanksgiving foods on a menu, that’s what to ask for.
Vinegar and cornstarch are typically used as ingredients to make the hot and sour soup taste more acidic. Although in addition to adding texture and thickness, cornstarch is essential.
Essentially, it helps thicken whatever liquid you use so it can coat your mouth better. Sounds weird? I hope you have learned immensely from this article about Chinese Thanksgiving food.
Vegetable Spring Rolls
If there’s a holiday meal that screams Chinese food, it would be a family gathering complete with roast turkey. Although hot-and-sour soup is delicious, most restaurant versions are nothing more than salty broth with floating wontons.
But when homemade, these dumplings aren’t just great as an appetizer. They also make for a healthy main course at any mealtime of day. How so?
Moreover, a little crabmeat and some egg whites go a long way toward giving each fluffy, lightly spiced wonton. It’s 15 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber per serving (about ten dumplings).
Stir-fried Green Beans
For a real treat, try stir-fried green beans. It’s commonly served as an appetizer in many Chinese restaurants.
These crispy pieces of veggies are something to desire during a meal regarding Chinese Thanksgiving food.
Interestingly, they’re easy to make and require few ingredients, giving you one less reason not to make them at home.
Coat some frozen green beans with cornstarch and pan-fry until they’re crunchy and brown on both sides. Enjoy while still hot or serving cold alongside traditional Thanksgiving foods like cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes.
Fried Rice (With Extra Veggies!)
Westerners might have difficulty wrapping their heads around fried rice served at Thanksgiving. But, when you think about it, what’s not to love? Rice and veggies are among the healthiest foods, and a little meat doesn’t hurt either.
Also, adding more veggies (like spinach or bok choy) to your classic fried rice recipe increase its nutritional value even further. Now, if only we could get folks to switch from turkey stuffing to chop suey!
Wonton Soup
Chinese food is becoming more and more mainstream in American culture. However, that doesn’t mean you should leave out all of your Asian traditions. This year, try some wonton soup at your thanksgiving meal.
It’s an excellent twist on a classic that everyone can enjoy, and it couldn’t be easier to make! Just combine a few ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Pretty soon, you’ll have some delicious wonton soup that can be enjoyed with or without noodles.
Gravy Made From Shitake Butter
If you’re looking for something to top your mashed potatoes or gravy, look no further than shitake butter. Okay, that was a joke.
It’s tofu-based and made from fermented shiitake mushrooms. While it looks like thick brown gravy, it tastes much milder with notes of umami mushroom flavor.
Therefore, use it as a vegetarian alternative to traditional gravy or even on baked potatoes for some extra flavor.
Mochi and Pumpkin Pie
Even in China, it’s not all dumplings and fried rice. The tradition of serving mooncakes dates back hundreds of years and remains popular today.
The cakes are typically filled with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or a mixture of both. Also, they are wrapped in a thin layer of dough, which has been colored and pressed into an intricate design.
For autumn holidays, traditional fillings include pumpkin pie filling and sweet potato mash, giving them their nickname: American mooncakes. Have you been able to discover some facts about Chinese Thanksgiving food?
Conclusion
As more and more Westerners celebrate Thanksgiving, its importance to other countries is often overlooked. So, with that in mind, here are some traditional thanksgiving foods from China and Asia. Are you looking for something new to eat or a full spread of authentic flavors? These dishes are sure to wow guests at your next party. Happy holidays!
