Traditional Thanksgiving Foods Aren’t So Traditional

Most of what we consider “traditional” was not actually on the menu for the first Thanksgiving meal.

Venison and wild fowl are the only foods historians are certain were served because mention of these dishes appear in primary sources.

In addition to venison and wild fowl, main courses available to the Pilgrims in 1621 included seafood such as lobster and eel, duck and seal meat.

Indian corn, pumpkin, peas and carrots, as well as fruits and nuts, were also possible menu items.

Many of today’s holiday staples were likely absent on the first Thanksgiving.

There is no evidence colonists ate ham, and sweet and regular potatoes weren’t common. Corn-on-the-cob was kept dried during autumn.

The Pilgrims could not have had pumpkin pie because a recipe for the dessert did not exist.

Source: The History Channel, www.history.com.