What was the original Thanksgiving dinner?

There are only two surviving documents that reference the original Thanksgiving harvest meal. They describe a feast of freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl, a bounty of cod and bass, and flint, a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as corn bread and porridge.

What did pilgrims actually eat on Thanksgiving?

Turkey, of course, was served (and has been the main entrée for almost 400 years). However, it was wild, not domestic, that the Pilgrims and Indians consumed. They also ate venison from the five deer that the Indians brought to the celebration, as well as duck and geese. Fish.

What was on the Thanksgiving menu during colonial times?

The menu at the first Thanksgiving celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag likely consisted of wild game (venison, goose, duck, pigeon, and turkey), seafood (mussels, clams, oysters, lobsters, bass, and eels), and a combination of wild and cultivated crops including chestnuts, walnuts, squash, beans, and …

Did the Pilgrims eat turkey on the first Thanksgiving?

So venison was a major ingredient, as well as fowl, but that likely included geese and ducks. Turkeys are a possibility, but were not a common food in that time. Pilgrims grew onions and herbs. It’s possible, but unlikely, that there was turkey at the first Thanksgiving.

What three foods were eaten at the first Thanksgiving?

First Thanksgiving Meal

Turkey.
Fruits and Vegetables.
Fish and Shellfish.
Potatoes.
Pumpkin Pie.
Who Attended the First Thanksgiving?

What was not served at the Pilgrims Thanksgiving meal?

“Most of today’s classic Thanksgiving dishes weren’t served in 1621,” says Curtin. Potatoes—white or sweet—would not have been featured on the 1621 table, and neither would sweet corn. Bread-based stuffing was also not made, though the Pilgrims may have used herbs or nuts to stuff birds.

What are the cons of eating turkey?

The cons

Turkey can be high in sodium.
Some meat, particularly prepackaged slices, can be processed and contain other substances.
Turkey skin is high in fat.
Research suggests large amounts of tryptophan can make you sleepy.

What was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving?

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but the First Thanksgiving likely included wildfowl, corn, porridge and venison. (Bettmann / Corbis)

What was the main dish of the White House Thanksgiving dinner?

Turkey was no longer forbidden, but Eggless Thursdays remained for the rest of the year, meaning no pumpkin pie was served at the White House dinner that year. Turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, to the point where Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called “Turkey Day.”

Who was the first person to eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that “No citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day”, and Benjamin Franklin had high regard for the wild turkey as an American icon. As Thanksgiving Day rose in popularity during the 1800s, so too did the turkey. By 1857, turkey had become part of the traditional dinner in New England.

What foods are served in place of Turkey at Thanksgiving?

Entrees other than turkey are sometimes served at Thanksgiving dinner, either alongside the turkey or in place of it as the main dish. Baked ham is served at Thanksgiving in many households.