Posted on 11/21/2007 8:09:11 AM PST by DogByte6RER
What The Pilgrims Ate
FIRST THANKSGIVING
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. While cooking methods and table etiquette have changed as the holiday has evolved, the meal is still consumed today with the same spirit of celebration and overindulgence.
WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ON THE MENU?
What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:
THE PILGRIMS' MENU
Foods That May Have Been on the Menu:
SEAFOOD: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
WILD FOWL: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
MEAT: Venison, Seal
GRAIN: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
VEGETABLES: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
FRUIT: Plums, Grapes
NUTS: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
HERBS AND SEASONINGS: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips
WHAT WAS NOT ON THE MENU:
Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the pilgrims's first feast table:
HAM: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
SWEET POTATOES/POTATOES: These were not common.
CORN ON THE COB: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.
CRANBERRY SAUCE: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.
PUMPKIN PIE: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.
CHICKEN/EGGS: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
MILK: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.
Nocturnal By Nature
We’re having prime rib for Thanksgiving this year....yum!
Was the outhouse nearby?
Thanks for this. Pretty interesting.
Clams, lobster and venison sounds darn good . . . !
I gotta ask...what else do you do with a Pig besides butcher it and eat it?
Clams, lobster?
As Christians they were fully aware of the prohibition
on bottom feeders/shellfish.
So, any thoughts?
Alright - we’ll take the Cod and the Lobster, but we don’t want the eel.
No deal.
Aw Prarie SH*&, everybody.
:)
“Clams, lobster?
As Christians they were fully aware of the prohibition
on bottom feeders/shellfish.
So, any thoughts?”
Here’s thought - Christians are purchased by Christ and are free from the law. Only law-keepers have their souls judged according to the deeds. Read Acts 10:9 - 16 for example.
Sounds good. As usual, I will be sitting down to a steaming plate of boiled eels' knees along with a cup of rainbow stew.
If that were actually the case (and it's NOT. The New Testament clears that up), I would be destined for the lowest pit in Hades.
I’m coming to your house. What time should I arrive? I’m in Israel at grad school and just paid a king’s ransom for a turkey.
So Christians can neither hire lawyers nor eat clam chowder?
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMm, Lobster for Thanksgiving!
” Christians are purchased by Christ and are free from the law. Only law-keepers have their souls judged according to the deeds. Read Acts 10:9 - 16 “
Yawn,
Do not suppose that I have come to do away with the law or the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, BUT TO ENFORCE THEM.”
Matt. 5:17
I’ll have one of those “swanels”. That’s a swan stuffed with an eagle stuffed with a crane. Delicious.
“Aw Prarie SH*&, everybody.”
What about the Methodists?
“ENFORCE?” Boy, you can find biblical support for anything if you’re willing to change the text.
Are you a kosher Christian?
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