BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -
Turkey is the food most often associated with Thanksgiving. But for many Gulf Coast residents, fresh seafood is also a traditional part of the holiday meal. And the day before the holiday is one of the busiest days of the year for coast seafood dealers.
"You need some ice?" asked the clerk.
It's late morning at Quality Poultry and Seafood. The day before the Thanksgiving feast. And shoppers are in the mood for fresh Gulf seafood.
"Everybody down here like to make gumbos and oyster dressing. You know, it's just a nice tradition down here in the South that we have," said Jim Gunkel with Quality Poultry & Seafood.
"My mom has been making it forever. It's an old family recipe," said Amantha Johnson.
That homemade gumbo tops the menu at her home this holiday.
"I'm picking up shrimp to go in the gumbo. And normally we don't make gumbo for Thanksgiving. But my sister is home and she won't be here for Christmas. So, we threw together gumbo and ham and all that," said Johnson.
Fish fillets, oysters, shrimp and crabs. Fresh from the Gulf, to holiday tables near and far.
"Shrimp, crawfish, crab. Everything for our gumbo. We're taking it to Atlanta for the family Thanksgiving," said one young shopper, whose dad was picking out the gumbo ingredients.
It seems Atlanta is a popular destination for Gulf seafood. That's where Henry Laster and his wife are headed after visiting family on the coast. Their cooler is filled with seafood treats.
"Red snapper. Fillet of redfish, oysters on the half shell, shrimps and crab meat," said Laster.
"It all comes from the gulf. And we keep our local fishermen in business. And we just love to serve the community," said Gunkel.
And it appears much of that community, loves to serve fresh seafood this holiday.
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