thanksgiving menu then and now

It is believed that the Pilgrim Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated the very first Thanksgiving feast after their first harvest in 1621 in Plymouth, MA... Historians believe t

Menu:

Then & Now

It is believed that the Pilgrim Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated the very first Thanksgiving feast after their first harvest in

1621 in Plymouth, MA

The harvest festival was religious in nature and took place outdoors, where hundreds of people gathered to partake in the festivities Food was plentiful for this occasion and the spirit of thankfulness prevailed over the three-day celebration

Historians believe that on that Thanksgiving day almost 400 years ago the menu consisted of venison – or deer meat – roasted (not stuffed) turkey, wild fowl including ducks, geese, and even swans, fish, lobsters, pumpkin in some form, squash, beans, dried fruits, some sort of cranberry sauce, and dried Indian maize or corn

The sugar supply brought over on the Mayflower from England was nearly exhausted by the time

of the first Thanksgiving, so it is widely surmised that wheat pudding may have been one of the only sweet dishes served

The Pilgrims used many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit in the meat sauces they prepared

They didn't have ovens so

pies and cakes and breads

most likely never made it to

that first Thanksgiving

dinner table in Plymouth

The best way to cook things

in the 17th century was to roast them Many of the meats were put on a spit and turned over a fire for six hours at a time to ensure that the meat was evenly cooked

Today we enjoy delicious meals served in a warm home where it's quite possible a football game can

be heard from a nearby television set

gravy, mashed

potatoes,

At the dining room table many Americans may

enjoy herb-roasted turkey,

candied yams,

sweet potatoes,

creamed corn,

cranberry-orange relish,

turnip, almond green beans,

pumpkin pie,

mince pie, popovers with butter,

apple pie,

and vanilla ice cream

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!