Thanksgiving. . . ideas on the Meal
Every year on Thanksgiving Day, I dine on classic American holiday fare. For at least one day, I put away my hot sauces, aromatic spices and condiments. With nothing on the table more exotic than a pepper shaker, I dig into my turkey, stuffing, and all the other traditional trimmings, an imagined modern semblance of what our collective Pilgrim forefathers were thought to have feasted on those many years ago.
Well, it may be traditional. But it's not exactly accurate.
One of the problems with researching the First Thanksgiving is that the Pilgrims did not chose to carefully record the event for posterity. Undoubtedly, they wanted to give thanks, for having survived for a year in the new colony, for the success of their corn and other crops, for the friendship and help of the local Native Americans. But when they sat down on that fall day, they had no intention of making the occasion an annual event, they did not watch any football games, and they celebrated by eating a meal that was significantly different than what we eat today.
First, some perspective. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated sometime in late September or early October, which makes sense for a harvest celebration in New England in 1621 or any other time. The observance on the fourth Thursday in November was established by Abraham Lincoln, changed to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt to extend the Christmas shopping season.
Generally regarded as the best eyewitness account of the First Thanksgiving was written in a letter by Edward Winslow, a respected member of the community who would eventually become its third governor. In it, he refers to the success of both the corn, meant for consumption from the cob, and the Indian corn crop, from which cornmeal was made. There is no reference to anyone eating popcorn, despite revisionist attempts to suggest this. (And it wouldn't have buttered since there were no cows on the Mayflower.)
Winslow states that the "governor sent four men on fowling." The fowl they brought back may well have been duck, pheasant, geese, or any number of types of birds, wild turkeys typically being scrawny looking things and a far less appetizing sight than their fattened Butterball cousins. The other main meat course was venison, courtesy of Wampananoag Chief Massoit, not one to come to dinner empty handed, particularly when bringing ninety guests. Other items on the menu likely included local seafood and freshwater fish. Cranberries may have been mashed into a sauce or sorts, although probably a particularly tart one without sweetening. Pumpkin, if it was available, may have been in the form of a pudding, but certainly not a pie.
Thanksgiving Dinner, like any other holiday celebration, is a highly specialized event, geared to each family's particular ethnic, religious, and other observances and preferences. The continuance of a particular tradition need not be constrained by an over-zealous adherence to historical accuracy. Still, it is fun to learn more about how things apparently were back then, and to improvise a little, even when dealing with tradition.
A more detailed look at the items that were likely to have been available at the First Thanksgiving can been seen here. Somewhat updated versions of possible original recipes are at Plimoth. Menus that feature regional specialties as well as that include duck, pheasant, and other alternative to turkey from Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazine are at Epicurious.
Those who want a Thanksgiving without meat there is a site at Vegetarian. For those who celebrate on a smaller scale, try recipes for two.
What am I having this year? Whatever my mother-in-law and my mother say I'm having.
By Vincent Kish
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