IT’S Thanksgiving! Around the nation, people are going to be gathering with family and friends to celebrate the things they’re thankful for, as well as eat way too much.
Here in the Marianas, you’re likely chopping up the tangan tangan right now so the barbecue grill can be ready in time for lunch—which for some of us is going to be at the beach, ranch, or family compound.
Wherever you’re celebrating and whatever is on your table, we hope you enjoy your day off (four days off, if you work for the government).
Wherever you’re celebrating and whatever is on your table, we hope you enjoy your day off (four days off, if you work for the government).
For Thanksgiving, we reached out to some of our contacts with a fun survey about how they’re enjoying their holiday.
These were our questions:
1. What are you thankful for this year?
2. How and where are you going to celebrate Thanksgiving?
3. What food from the Thanksgiving fiesta table comprise your “perfect” fiesta plate?
4. What drinks are going to be in your ice chest?
5. Which is better—turkey or ham?
6. Which is best—corn titiyas, flour titiyas, or titiyas manha?
7. Select three desserts to place on the Thanksgiving fiesta table:
- Manha pie
- Oreo cake
- Sapin sapin
- Pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin crunch
- Blueberry cheesecake
- Cherry cheesecake
- Tiramisu
- Buko salad
8. If they run out of red rice or steamed rice at your party, which of the following is the next best option?
- Mashed potatoes
- Saibuk lemmai
- Potato salad
- Even more meat
- Titiyas
9. We also asked respondents to give a shout-out to the family member “who makes the dish you’re most looking forward to eating at your Thanksgiving party.”
Of our nine respondents, eight told Marianas Variety they are both thankful for their family and spending the holiday with their family as well.
Lianalynn, a social media coordinator from 500 Sails, said she’s thankful for “God, my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunties and uncles, cousins, close friends.” She added her four-legged family member—her pet dog.
Ruby Ma, clinical director for Saipan Humane Society, gave her husband a special shout-out in our survey for his support as he helped get her through “stress or compassion fatigue from work and school of veterinary nursing program.”
Leonard Leon, director of the NMI Museum of History and Culture, said he’s thankful for the community’s efforts to “find common ground” and how well the community is “supporting each other.”
As one might imagine, over at Herman’s Modern Bakery, it’s going to be a busy day during Thanksgiving as they prepare the food that many islanders are going to be enjoying.
Their general manager, Michael Guerrero, says he and their bakery team are going to be working most of the day.
“Our hardworking team [and I will] be working at the bakery on Thanksgiving, helping to prepare fresh Thanksgiving packages, pies, cakes, and pastries for customers,” he said. “While we all will be busy, I’ll make sure to enjoy the festive atmosphere and the holiday spirit at work. After our team closes at 6 p.m., we’ll all be able to celebrate with family or close friends.”
In the debate over which main course—ham or turkey—reigns supreme on the fiesta table, one respondent threw a monkey wrench into the debate by withholding a response, meaning we’ve got a 50-50 deadlock in the poll results. Four say turkey is better, while the remaining respondents beg to differ. What do you say?
Meanwhile, the battle for top titiyas resulted in a decisive victory for titiyas manha, the delicious Chamorro flatbread flavored with young coconut. The only person to withhold her vote was Hazel Sadian, Marianas Variety’s sales supervisor. Maybe she doesn’t like titiyas? Maybe she’s going keto? Marianas Variety was unable to get a response.
Over at the starch survey, four respondents believe mashed potatoes are an acceptable substitute if the party’s supply of rice runs low. Three respondents said to get the saibuk lemmai—breadfruit boiled in coconut milk—ready. Potato salad and titiyas each had one vote. No one thought “even more meat” was an acceptable thing to put on the table if the rice runs out.
Honora Tenorio, the NMI Humanities Council’s fiscal officer, said her “perfect fiesta plate” includes turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, barbecue ribs, fish, and “other goodies.”
Fish is a common answer, by the way. Andrea Carr, 500 Sails’ program coordinator, said fish goes on her plate “first and foremost!” She hopes to throw on some red rice, lemmai (Wow, double starch? We like it, Andrea!), ko’ko’ and pumpkin pie, which she says is a “must-have.”
Leni Leon also listed fish as his first component of the “perfect” Thanksgiving fiesta plate, adding ham and sweet potato from Rota to his answer. If there really is Rota sweet potato at your family’s house, may we come over, Leni?
GM Guerrero listed off an amazing Thanksgiving spread he’s looking forward to, including roast turkey AND fried turkey, roast pork belly, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, dinner rolls, cornbread, brussel sprouts, macaroni and cheese, and roasted vegetables. Let us know if you guys need help at the Herman’s Modern Bakery kitchen, Mr. Guerrero! You can pay us in food.
Candy Feliciano, an editor for Marianas Variety, picked out three great choices for desserts, saying Oreo cake, blueberry cheesecake, and tiramisu would be what she puts on her Thanksgiving table.
Honora Tenorio kept it on-theme for the season, saying pumpkin crunch and pumpkin pie were her choices, with blueberry cheesecake thrown in for good measure.
Pumpkin pie was the top result among all respondents, by the way, as seven of nine listed it in their answers.
For her part, classroom teacher Trini Macduff listed it as her only dessert option.
Macduff gave a special shout-out to her mother for Thanksgiving, saying she’s looking forward to the gravy her mom makes for the occasion.
Honora Tenorio gave a shout-out to Edwin Tenorio because he marinates the barbecue ribs—“It’s delicious,” she tells Marianas Variety.
Lianalynn said her grandfather gets special mention because he’s cooking the turkey in an umu this year, which is a Samoan aboveground cooking method that uses hot rocks to roast food.
Leonard Leon is looking forward to the “best salads, cocos, and deserts” his nieces Tiara, Tyanna, and Leah make.
And Guerrero, of course, gave a big shout-out to his hardworking bakery team “for their dedication to assist our community families make their Thanksgiving feasts enjoyable and delicious,” as well as to his mother, wife, and siblings for their contributions.
What about you? How’s your day going to go? Feel free to email this reporter your response; he loves reading this kind of thing.
