In November, Americans celebrate the national feast of Thanksgiving. The meal is a perfect reflection our county’s unique food heritage: native ingredients, multicultural exchange, and “making do.”
The turkey is a symbol of New World abundance. Stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, cornbread, and apple cider tell the tales of Old World recipes vs New World ingredients.
Curious about the history of the dishes on your Thanksgiving table?
“Our modern holiday fare bears little resemblance to the food eaten at the three-day 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth Colony, the event now recalled as the ‘First Thanksgiving.’ The Wampanoag and Plymouth colonists often ate wild turkey, however it was not specifically mentioned in connection with that 1621 harvest celebration….”
Read more about historic American Thanksgiving dinner menus
Eat well.
Lynne Olver is a librarian and editor of the Food Timeline, which provides accurate and well-researched information about food across history. DooF will be featuring regular blog postings from Lynne throughout the year to share fun food facts and links to the timeline. For more historical information about all kinds of food, please visit foodtimeline.org
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