Bonus List

VARIOUS AMERICAN HOLIDAY FOODS: MOST COMMON IN THE U.S. OR ELSEWHERE?
Below are a few foods which are commonly used in traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in the United States. Some of these foods are very "American," like the native cranberries, but others, like sweet potatoes, are eaten much more frequently elsewhere.

Ten Countries with the Most Turkey Eaten Per Capita:

COUNTRY

1. Israel
2. United States
3. France
4. Hungary
5. Ireland
6. Italy
7. Germany
8. Portugal
9. Canada
9. United Kingdom

AVERAGE ANNUAL TURKEY
CONSUMPTION PER PERSON (lbs.)
28.8
17.5
14.5
13.8
13.6
12.3
11.0
9.5
9.3
9.3

Source of Data: USDA, mostly 2003.

Most Available Sweet Potatoes Per Person:

This is very closely equivalent to the number of sweet potatoes eaten per person. This Thanksgiving and Christmas treat is rarely eaten in the United States (about 3 pounds per person per year) compared with most tropical countries (though China ranks rather high since the sweet potato can be grown with success in some areas outside of the tropics; maybe more Chinese restaurants should include sweet potatoes on their menus to be more authentic?).

COUNTRY

1. Vanuatu
2. Rwanda
3. Burundi
4. Uganda
5. China
6. Angola
7. Cuba
8. Tanzania
9. Paraguay
10. Barbados

AVAILABLE POUNDS OF SWEET
POTATOES PER PERSON IN 2003
383
324
264
194
95
64
60
55
40
38

Source of Data: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2003.

Most Cranberries Grown Per Person:

More than 80 percent of all cranberries are grown in the United States (with Canada supplying much of the rest; cranberries are native to parts of the US and Canada). Latvia is #1 per capita because of its low population.

COUNTRY

1. Latvia
2. Canada
3. United States
4. Belarus
5. Azerbaijan

CRANBERRIES GROWN
ANNUALLY PER PERSON (lbs.)
7.6
3.5
2.1
0.6
0.3

Source of Data: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2003.
(Note: This includes exported cranberries.)

Most Pumpkins (Plus Squash & Gourds) Grown Per Person:

China is the #1 producer of pumpkins, squash and gourds, with India being #2, but their large populations bring their per capita values down. Tonga exports many of its pumpkins to Japan. In the Caribbean, the "tropical pumpkin" (really a variety of squash called the calabaza squash) is widely eaten. The United States only produces about 5 pounds of pumpkins and squash per person per year (not including imports).

COUNTRY

1. Tonga
2. Cuba
3. New Zealand
4. Rwanda
5. Ukraine
6. Guyana
7. Jamaica
8. Bolivia
9. Egypt
10. Sri Lanka

PUMPKINS/SQUASH/GOURDS GROWN
ANNUALLY PER CAPITA (lbs.)
400
94
86
58
42
31
30
28
21
19

Source of Data: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2003.
(Note: This includes exported pumkpins.)

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