Behind the Historic Thanksgiving Meal

Why we eat the same meal every year on this day of gratitude.

You probably know the story of that first cold winter in 1621 where native Wampanoag Americans showed amazing generosity in sharing food with the first pilgrims. You’ve probably also heard that the history is more than a little fuzzy, if not totally problematic. What we do know is that the fourth thursday of November is about sharing gratitude and eating a very specific meal with family and loved ones.

But how historic is the historic feast?

TURKEY

‘Tis the season of gobble gobble. But there’s no mention of the big bird at the first thanksgiving. Instead, the Wampanoag brought deer they had hunted, while the Pilgrims provided the veggies; the proud result of a hard first harvest.

There is mention from the time of how common the large native North American bird was, and how it was often hunted along with other foul.

PUMPKIN PIE

Sorry to be a bummer, but there was no pumpkin pie at the first thanksgiving either. In fact there wasn’t even butter, cream, or flour yet to make the filling or the crust.

However, pumpkins are a native North American gourd that became treasured by the American settlers. There is some evidence that pumpkins were stuffed and baked very early in American history (imagine soup in a bread bowl) and the hearty warm and sweet treat was beloved and often written about.

In fact they were so beloved, that hoards of gourds were sent back to the elite back in England and France where the flesh of these new pompion became trendy in 17th English and French baking.

CRANBERRIES

YES! They had cranberries! Cranberries are native to the north east and the Wampanoag were known for cooking with them, as well as chestnuts, pumpkins, walnuts, and green beans.

The sweet and sugary cranberry sauce that we know and love today, however, was not on the menu. Wampanoag Americans ate cranberries raw, used their juice for dye, and made a mulch of their pulp to flavor and preserve venison. The first cranberry sauce recipe doesn’t show up until 1912!

POTATOES

Mashed potatoes and gravy. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Candied yams. Mmmmmm. Three thanksgiving favorites… that absolutely did not exist.

Sorry folks. Potatoes are native to South America and Sweet Potatoes are native to the Caribbean. Both of these recipes didn’t come into our traditional feast for another 200 years.

So there you have it. A lot has changed since 1621, thank goodness. And although the meal may look different, and our feelings on the settlers has shifted… what we can all agree on is the importance of stepping back, looking at our lives, and being grateful for what we have, sharing our bounty with others, and connecting with people through food. For those reasons, no matter what you serve, Thanksgiving is still a holiday worth celebrating.