The First Thanksgiving And What They REALLY Ate

Hint: no cream of mushroom soup or marshmallow topping

Yankee has provided a brief rundown of the foods eaten at the first Thanksgiving, which was celebrated during the fall of 1621 at the Plymouth Colony in modern-day Massachusetts:

…venison was a major ingredient, as well as fowl, but that likely included pheasants, geese, and duck. Turkeys are a possibility, but were not a common food in that time. Pilgrims grew onions and herbs. Cranberries and currants would have been growing wild in the area, and watercress may have still been available if the hard frosts had held off, but there’s no record of them having been served. In fact, the meal was probably quite meat-heavy.

Likewise, walnuts, chestnuts, and beechnuts were abundant, as were sunchokes. Shellfish were common, so they probably played a part, as did beans, pumpkins, squashes, and corn (served in the form of bread or porridge), thanks to the Wampanoags.

The magazine also mentions a few items that were not eaten at the feast: “Potatoes (white or sweet), bread stuffing or pie (wheat flour was rare), sugar, Aunt Lena’s green bean casserole.”

Written by Mary Miller // History Buff // Featured image via Community Links