Pavochón — a portmanteau of pavo (turkey) and lechón (roasted pig)— reminds DiningTraveler of home, and her late father. 'Many family food traditions come together at Thanksgiving to remind us where we come from.'
In a nation of immigrants and migrants, food bonds people to the places they left behind. For those celebrating Thanksgiving, the holiday becomes a bridge between the dishes we enjoyed in our motherlands and our American life. It also becomes a way to share something about our culture with our friends and neighbors. The holiday connects me, a Puerto Rican who grew up between Puerto Rico and Western New York and now lives in Europe, to my family traditions.
My dad, Don Gume, migrated to the mainland United States in his 20s and carved a life and business in Rochester, N.Y. His dream was to return to Puerto Rico, which he ultimately did in 1984, with my mom, brother, and me in tow. He loved Thanksgiving and, every year, continued celebrating by making the turkey in our small seaside town.
I committed to making two turkeys with arroz con gandules as the main side dish. Seasoned with sofrito, it would be the quintessential Puerto Rican celebratory dish. But of course, I was nervous. I kept asking myself: “Will the taste be as good as my dad’s?” His trick was to season the bird 48 hours before roasting. My mom and dad walked me through the recipes by phone, and the dinner was a hit.
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