Autumn, full-blown. #Portugal
A photo posted by Gail at Large (@gailatlarge) on Oct 12, 2015 at 4:46am PDT
It’s Canadian Thanksgiving today, otherwise known as the second Monday of October everywhere else. I’ve written about Thanksgiving before, so instead of rehashing things I’ve said in these posts, I’ll point to them instead and go in a different direction.
2013: Thanksgiving Is Every Meal At The In-Laws’
2014: Canadian Thanksgiving Abroad, Take 2
Since Thanksgiving is centred around food, you’d think celebrating Thanksgiving outside of Canada would be pretty easy, right? Some improvisation here and there?
Let me give it to you straight: there are some obstacles.
Let’s talk about turkey. In Portugal, turkey is called peru (seriously, like the country, just like turkey is also a country) and it’s sold in parts. I’d have to go to a butcher to order a whole one. No big deal. Except, have you seen a European oven? I can only fit two medium-sized baking trays in there, which means baking takes me all evening because I have to do it in installments. A turkey? There’s room for maybe a large chicken, and then nothing else.
Sweet potatoes in Portugal are from Africa. Not the same. I went on a scouting trip to El Corte Inglés, the Spanish department store, and these are the three types I found there.
I’m not a fan of cranberry sauce, which is a good thing because take a look at the price for the only cranberry sauce I found anywhere: €4.27 for 190g!
I am a fan of maple syrup, however. But gadzooks, have a look at these prices:
Thankfully I’ve been rationing my own supply, brought over by my friend in the spring whose mother sent a one-litre jug of maple syrup just for me. I’ll need a top-up at some point, though, so if anyone is coming to visit me, please bring maple syrup!
And be thankful, Canada, that you’ve got your own affordable supply!
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