Every State's Signature Thanksgiving Dish, Mapped Out

Illinois' own Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving in 1863 in the United States "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."

Though Thanksgiving had been celebrated sporadically throughout the country since the 1600s, Lincoln's official designation of the day was also meant to give a day of reprieve and peace during the Civil War. He acted at the behest of magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, who for years had tried to have a uniform day of thanks established for the entire country.

From Lincoln's proclamation:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

Beyond the idea of giving thanks, spending time with family and remembering the U.S.' historical roots, Thanksgiving is also about food. Lots of food. Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole-basically anything you can cook, you can eat on Thanksgiving.

For this year, the 151st official Thanksgiving, the New York Times released a list of Thanksgiving dishes emblematic of every state in the Union, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The dishes range from traditional Turkey Day fare to creative twists on old favorites to altogether new inventions.

Illinois' signature Thanksgiving dish, according the paper, is pumpkin soup with ancho and apple, a nod to Illinois' spot as the number-one pumpkin producer in the nation. Check out the recipe and the description from the Times under the infographic.

Check out this map and list of every dish:

See the name of the dishes assigned to each state, plus the New York Times' recipe for Illinois' pumpkin soup at Reboot Illinois.

Sign up for our daily email to stay up to date on all things Illinois politics.

NEXT ARTICLE: Illinois' best fast food joints
12 Illinois counties with the highest sales tax
21 famous Illinoisans who are buried in Illinois
The trail of Lincoln: 26 sites for any Abe enthusiast
Watch: Is Bruce Rauner hedging on campaign promise with "stunningly bad" assessment?