“IS THIS some kind of Chinese yuppie ingredient?”

My sister was teasing, but the black sticky rice stuffing I served with our Thanksgiving turkey years ago was definitely a departure from tradition. My father thought it was blackberry pudding until he took a bite!

Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t Chinese traditions, of course, but Chinese families here celebrate them nonetheless. And Chinese cooks quickly learned to stuff the American turkey with a rice-based dressing. Within a few generations, the turkey with sticky-rice stuffing became a classic of Chinese American home cooking. Essentially, the stuffing is a very rich Chinese-style risotto studded wth Chinese sausages, water chestnuts, and fresh shiitake and dried mushrooms.

But that particular year, I used black sticky rice. I like its chewy texture and the nutty flavor, which reminds me of wild rice. Even though this seems a relatively innocuous modification, I worried about how my family would react to it when I first made the substitution.

My mother, the champion of the status quo and the person who taught me Chinese cooking, was puzzled and uncomfortable.

“What is black sticky rice?” she asked. After I told her that it comes from Southeast Asia and is popular in desserts, Mom tasted it. OK in flavor, she said, but then added that the color—glistening blackberry purple—was nearly treasonous. It was a little too forward for her taste.

On the other hand, there was my non-Chinese brother-in-law. He didn’t have the vaguest idea what he was eating, but he ate a lot of it. As for the rest of the family, they simply gobbled it all up.

As for me, I can’t wait to make this black rice stuffing again—for the Christmas goose.

JOYCE JUE’S CHINESE BLACK STICKY RICE STUFFING

• 3/4 cup of dried chestnuts (four ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 16 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup small dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
• 2 1/2 cups black glutinous rice
• 2 3/4 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth, or water
• 4 Chinese sweet sausages
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh water chestnuts, peeled and cut into quarters
• 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Asian seame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, cover the dried chestnuts and baking soda with boiling water; soak for 20 minutes. Drain. Remove the red skins from the chestnuts. Place chestnuts in a saucepan with 2 cups of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Drain, Set aside.

When the dried mushrooms are soft and pliable, drain and squeeze out the excess water. Cut off the mushroom stems and discard. Cut the caps into thin slices. Drain the shrimp; set aside.

Thoroughly rinse the black rice under cold running water. Drain. Bring 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a steamer or Dutch oven. Combine the rice and chicken broth in a 2-quart bowl that will fit comfortably into the steamer (or Dutch oven). Cover and steam. After 20 minutes place the sausages on top of the rice and cover; steam 15 minutes longer. remove from the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Remove the sausages and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

Heat the vegetable oil and salt in a wok over high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and stirfry until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add the dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, water chestnuts, dried chestnuts, sausages and green onions; stirfry for 1 minute. Stir in the rice, white pepper, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Let cool before stuffing the bird.

Yields about 10 cups stuffing •

Joyce Jue is a chef, cookbook author and tour guide, based in San Francisco. She is the author of “Savoring Southeast Asia.”