What Did The Pilgrims Not Eat On Thanksgiving?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Both the Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag tribe ate pumpkins and other squashes indigenous to New England—possibly even during the harvest festival—but the fledgling colony lacked

the butter and wheat flour

necessary for making pie crust.

Did the Pilgrims eat chicken on Thanksgiving?

For meat, the Wampanoag brought deer, and

the Pilgrims provided wild “fowl

.” Strictly speaking, that “fowl” could have been turkeys, which were native to the area, but historians think it was probably ducks or geese.

What did the 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.

Did the Pilgrims eat corn on Thanksgiving?

Corn and kidney beans were

staples of the Pilgrim diet

. If these accounts are to be believed, Indian corn, seemingly a staple of the settlers’ diet, likely would have been eaten during the three-day harvest feast with the Wampanoags that Winslow also described.

Did the Pilgrims really eat turkey?

Did they eat turkey?

We don’t think so

. The Wampanoag guests brought five deer with them, so venison was on the menu. The English brought fowl, “probably migrating waterfowl like ducks and geese, which were plentiful in autumn,” says Beahrs.

What 3 foods were eaten at the first Thanksgiving?

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’s the real history of Thanksgiving?

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an

autumn harvest feast

that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states.

What was missing from the first Thanksgiving feast?


Fish

.

Why you shouldn’t eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

Experts warn that a

virulent new strain of bird flu could spread to humans

. Cooking a turkey can adequately kill bacteria and viruses, but even a little of what makes you ill can lurk on cutting boards and utensils and thus spread to hands or foods that won’t be cooked.

Why is turkey the Thanksgiving bird?

Some historians say the

early settlers were inspired by the queen’s actions and roasted a turkey instead of

a goose. The wild turkey is a native bird of North America. As a result, Benjamin Franklin claimed this made the turkey a more suitable national bird for the United States than the bald eagle.

Did the Pilgrims eat cheese?

So what did the Pilgrims eat and drink while on their journey to the New World? They most likely had

dried meat and fish, cheese

, dried fruit, biscuits, grains, flour, and dried beans and peas. When their water supply became unfit to drink, the Pilgrims drank beer.

What did the Pilgrims not eat?

Both the Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag tribe ate pumpkins and other squashes indigenous to New England—possibly even during the harvest festival—but the fledgling colony lacked the

butter and wheat flour

necessary for making pie crust.

What vegetables did the Pilgrims eat?

Indian corn was part of almost every meal in Plymouth Colony. Along with Indian corn, the Pilgrims also grew some beans, pumpkins, wheat, barley, oats and peas in their fields. In the gardens near their houses, women grew many different kinds of herbs and vegetables, like

parsley, lettuce, spinach, carrots and turnips

.

Did the Pilgrims eat with the natives?

You can see throughout their journals that they were always nervous and, unfortunately, when they were nervous they were very aggressive. So the Pilgrims didn’t invite the Wampanoags to sit down and eat turkey and drink some beer? …

People did eat together

[but not in what is portrayed as “the first Thanksgiving].

What difficulties did the Pilgrims face?

The weather was much colder than what the Pilgrims had prepared for and the first winter was devastating. The Pilgrims

struggled to build homes

, and many families crowded into the few homes that were built. Food was scarce, and many Pilgrims starved to death that first winter.

Did the Pilgrims eat lobster?


The First Thanksgiving meal eaten by pilgrims in November 1621 included lobster

. They also ate fruits and vegetables brought by Native Americans, mussels, bass, clams, and oysters. … Today, lobster might not be a food associated with a traditional Thanksgiving menu, but it should be!

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.