When we think of Thanksgiving, Good friends and family typically come to mind.Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the star of the show: the food! When you think of the traditional fare that graces tables across the country annually, do you ever think about how it became part of the meal in the first place?
When you consult the two surviving documents that reference the original Thanksgiving, their feast differs greatly from what it consists of today.
There was no turkey! In its place were venison, wildfowl (ducks, geese, swans, pigeon), fish, eel, lobster and mussels.
There were no mashed potatoes! However, there were peas, beans, squash, flint corn, cabbage and carrots.
There was no gravy! That’s right, no gravy. The colonists didn’t have mills to produce flour.
There were no pies! Without flour, and no doubt without refined sugar (it was expensive), there was no pie of any kind. Which means there was also no cranberry sauce. However, both items were available and used as ingredients in other dishes.
So, this year, no matter what’s on your table, here’s to good food, good friends and family!