Jessica Crabtree

#8: The Original Thanksgiving Menu

From the records we have of the Pilgrim’s harvest celebration, it seems the main course consisted of the staple foods that had carried them through their first year in America: mainly corn, squash, and beans (the “Three Sisters” of Native American culture) and seafood such as clams, lobster, and eels. (Sorry, no pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce.) As it turns out, the first Thanksgiving had a lot more in common with a good old-fashioned New England clam bake.

We do know that at least one item on the menu is authentic; the English accounts have the men going “fowling” or hunting for seasonal game birds such as duck and probably turkey. And the Wampanoag who joined them later provided plenty of fresh game, including venison and poultry.

Smithsonian Magazine: Turkey’s Trip to the Table