Post by brittonfaith on Nov 19, 2008 7:48:34 GMT 12.75
Ever wonder what was on the first Thanksgiving table? Found a neat little book on Thanksgiving history, The Book of Thanksgiving" by Paul Dickson that might shed some light on the subject.
"From two surviving descriptions of the first feast, we learn that the feast included codfish, sea bass, wild fowl (such as ducks, geese, swans and turkeys), cornmeal (probably flint corn or wheat), and the five deer brought by the Indians.
Beyond those foods, there was also a number of native and English fruits and herbs, both wild and cultivated. Many of these were no longer in season, but may have been served in their dried form.
Native Plants:
Walnuts, chestnuts, grapes, American and beach plums, gooseberries, raspberries, wild cherries, wild strawberries, watercress, beans, pumpkins, squash, crab apples, hickory nuts, currants, blueberries, Jerusalem artichokes, ramps, and parsley
English Plants: There was a crop failure in the peas in 1621. No other surviving records remain of that was set in the gardens that year. But we can assume the following popular plants were grown.
Parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, cabbage, mellon, radishes, beets, and lettuce.
Beverages available to the Pilgrims included both beer and a strong brandy-like liquid known as aqua vitae, literally "water of life." Milk was not consumed. Children drank beer along with their elders.
........Almost as interesting as what was served, is what was not served:
"From two surviving descriptions of the first feast, we learn that the feast included codfish, sea bass, wild fowl (such as ducks, geese, swans and turkeys), cornmeal (probably flint corn or wheat), and the five deer brought by the Indians.
Beyond those foods, there was also a number of native and English fruits and herbs, both wild and cultivated. Many of these were no longer in season, but may have been served in their dried form.
Native Plants:
Walnuts, chestnuts, grapes, American and beach plums, gooseberries, raspberries, wild cherries, wild strawberries, watercress, beans, pumpkins, squash, crab apples, hickory nuts, currants, blueberries, Jerusalem artichokes, ramps, and parsley
English Plants: There was a crop failure in the peas in 1621. No other surviving records remain of that was set in the gardens that year. But we can assume the following popular plants were grown.
Parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, cabbage, mellon, radishes, beets, and lettuce.
Beverages available to the Pilgrims included both beer and a strong brandy-like liquid known as aqua vitae, literally "water of life." Milk was not consumed. Children drank beer along with their elders.
........Almost as interesting as what was served, is what was not served:
- No apples, pears, peaches or other fruits not native to New England (they would take years to bear after planting).
- Hence, no cider.
- No potatoes. They were still unknown to botanists. Sweet potatoes were only mildly popular among the well-to-do, used as an aphrodisiac, but was unavailable to early New England.
- No sweet corn. The corn grown by the Pilgrims and local Indians was a flint variety and served parched.
- No "Indian pudding" in its later form or gingerbread, as there was no molasses.
- Few if any cranberries might have been used in the stuffings, but no cranberry jelly because of the scarcity of sugar.
- No celery, which was unknown.
- Almost certainly no olives. They were imported in England, but it is unlikely that they came to Plymouth in 1620.
- No coffee or tea other than chicory coffee and sassafras or mint tea.
- Probably no shell fish because although they were plentiful and formed a large part of the Pilgrims' diet in the early years, they were looked upon as poverty fare and hence not appropriate at a feast.
..........There were about 140 people at the 3-day harvest celebration, 90 Indian men and Pilgrims. Only four adult housewives survived that first winter: Elizabeth Hopkins, Elinor Billington, Mary Brewster, and Susanna (White) Winslow. It is very possible that they oversaw all the cooking and preparation, with help from the children and servants.