Does your family participate in the stuffing versus dressing debate at Thanksgiving? Are you sharply divided, or do you all agree? Is it a non-issue, so long as it’s on the table? No one is sure when stuffing/dressing was first created, and the mix of ingredients has changed over time, although the main ingredients of broken up bread and various herbs have mostly remained the same.
The most common argument says that if the breadcrumb/herb mixture is “stuffed” inside the turkey for cooking, it is called “stuffing,” and if it is cooked and served as a side dish, it is called “dressing,” as it dresses up the table. The term “dressing” is a relatively new term, considering that evidence of the making and consuming of the dish can be traced as far back as the Roman cookbook, Apicius De Re Coquinaria. Americans started using the term “dressing” in the 1850s. Other terms for dressing throughout the ages have been “farce (1390 AD)” and “forcemeat (1688 AD).” The term “stuffing” was first introduced in the year 1538 AD.
It seems that what people in the U.S. call it today largely depends on what part of the country they are from. If you’re a Southerner, you probably call it “dressing,” because it is usually served as a side dish, and you use cornbread as your base, as opposed to white or wheat bread. If you’re a Northerner, you probably call it “stuffing,” because you’re more comfortable with the thought of it being cooked inside the turkey. If you’re from some parts of Pennsylvania, you might call it “filling.”
Whatever you call it, it has become such a popular dish at Thanksgiving that most Americans would miss it if it did not make an appearance at the table. So eat up, and now you can impress your relatives with your stuffing/dressing knowledge!
Happy Thanksgiving!
(What do you call it, and why? Feel free to comment below with your story!)
Sources: Wikipedia, History.com
Leave a Comment