Allie Wenskoski, Sophomore
The holiday season is upon us with Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and many more on the horizon. Each holiday brings family together, and, while only a few may have presents exchanged, sitting down to a traditional meal is always on the to-do list. For Thanksgiving, many of us sit down to a giant turkey surrounded by mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, yams, and cranberry sauce and ending with pumpkin pie. Though this meal has gotten to be known as the ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving meal, based off of the history of the holiday, this combination of food is anything but traditional. So what did the pilgrims and natives eat on the very first Thanksgiving?
Reports show that the majority of the meal was meat. This includes many turkeys, waterfowl, and venison. However, turkey was not the original centerpiece. Most likely ducks or geese were the main dish. Research shows that passenger pigeons were also a possibility to be cooked up. The small birds were spit-roasted while larger birds were boiled or roasted. The birds were probably stuffed, as they are today, just not with bread. The Pilgrims stuffed their birds with chunks of onions and herbs. The Pilgrims then made soup from the broth that the birds were cooked in and thickened it with grains. Much of these animals were killed by the colonists, but the nearby natives additionally brought five deer. At the first Thanksgiving, there was also seafood. The colonists and the Wampanoag tribe ate eels, lobster, clams, and mussels. The rich shores of Massachusetts were perfect for catching shellfish.
In addition to meat and shellfish, the first Thanksgiving included many items picked from the forest. The Wampanoag tribe gathered chestnuts, walnuts, and beechnuts. They brought flint corn to the colonists, which is multicolored corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins.
In contrast to the classic meal today, there were many dishes added throughout the years. Potatoes came from South America, sweet potatoes from the Caribbean, and pies could not be made as there was no butter or flour.
The Thanksgiving as we know it originated in the mid-19th century. So, in the coming weeks, when you dig into a bowl of mashed potatoes, stuffing, or any of the other Thanksgiving classics, remember to be thankful that you have a delicious meal around you, unlike the Pilgrims who made this day possible.
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