What the First Thanksgiving Dinner Actually Looked Like

Introduction

• Limited understanding of the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in Massachusetts.
• Only one original account of the feast exists.
• Modern traditions differ significantly from the original event.
• Anthropological insights suggest the menu from letters and oral histories.

Main Course: Waterfowl and Venison

• Eyewitness Account: Letter by Edward Winslow (Dec. 11, 1621).
  • Puritans celebrated successful harvest using fertilization methods from Tisquantum (Squanto).
  • Governor William Bradford sent men on "fowling"; they brought back enough food for a week.
  • Likely consumed goose and duck, not turkey, since waterfowl was abundant.
• Wampanoag Contribution:
  • Leader Massasoit Ousamequin and 90 men gifted five deer.
  • Venison was likely prominent on the table.

Side Dish: Sobaheg Stew, Not Cranberry Sauce

• Wild cranberries existed but were not part of the first feast.
• Sobaheg Stew:
  • Included beans, corn, poultry, squash, nuts, and clam juice.
  • Utilized seasonal ingredients available in 1621.
  • Seafood like clams and fish were abundant and likely included.

Carbohydrates: Cornbread over Potatoes

• Potatoes were not introduced until 1722 in New England.
• Cornbread (Maizium):
  • Corn was a staple starch.
  • Mentioned in William J. Miller’s notes on the Wampanoag.
  • Likely served at the feast despite European settlers' general distaste for indigenous foods.

Sauce: Green Sauce Gravy

• Possible gravy from meat drippings.
• Green Sauce:
  • Utilized crops introduced by Wampanoag, including corn, beans, squash, onions, turnips, greens.
  • Cooked into a pulpy sauce common in early New England.

Dessert: Lack Thereof

• Regular sugar or maple syrup was not available at the time.
• Sugar became popular in New England only in the 18th century.
• Maple syrup harvesting by settlers started around 1680.
• The first Thanksgiving would not have included sweets, avoiding post-meal awkwardness.