Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries. These foods have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, but how did they end up on tables from Maine to California?
According toBruce Smith, senior scientist at theSmithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, much of what is eaten at Thanksgiving today came from Mexico and South America. “We can trace many of these foods up through the southwestern United States into other parts of the country,” he said. “Most likely this diffusion happened as a result of trading or other contact among American Indian tribes in this country.”
So, where did these Thanksgiving favorites come from? Smith shares some facts about the origins of the food on this holiday menu:
Turkey
- The turkey was domesticated twice, in central Mexico and in the southwestern United States. This domestication happened at the same time about 2,000 years ago. The southwestern domesticate disappeared, and the turkeys eaten today are derived from the Mexican domesticate.
- Domesticated turkeys made quite a journey to tables in the United States. They were most likely brought from Mexico to Europe and came to the eastern United States by Europeans when they settled the colonies.
Potatoes
- Potatoes were domesticated in South America (likely Peru) about 10,000 years ago. The Spanish probably took the potato from South America to Europe where it slowly became a staple crop.
- Like turkeys, potatoes also had quite a journey to the dinner table. Europeans likely introduced potatoes to the eastern United States when they settled there.
Squash and Pumpkins
- There are many species of squash and pumpkins grown today in the United States; the most common species (Cucurbita pepo) was also, like the turkey, domesticated twice—in Mexico and the eastern United States. Some common members of the speciesC. pepoinclude acorn squash, pattypan squash, and spaghetti squash.
- The orange-skinned “pumpkin” lineage ofC. pepo(what is carved as a jack-o-lantern) was the first plant to be domesticated in the Americas, about 10,000 years ago in Mexico.
- There was a second domestication ofC. peposquash in the eastern United States about 5,000 years ago. All of the yellow- and green-skinned summer squashes in the U.S., such as zucchini and acorn squash, were derived from a wild gourd that is still found in the Ozarks.
- Research by a team of archaeologists has revealed a curious connection between our traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the taste buds of prehistoric mammoths and mastodons.
Corn
- Corn (maize) was domesticated in Mexico more than 8,000 years ago. This important crop plant arrived in the southwestern United States by 4,000 years ago, and reached eastern North America at about 200 B.C.
- Maize is derived from teosinte, a large wild grass that has five species growing in Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Cranberries
- Cranberries are native to the United States, most likely coming from the New England area.
- The name is derived from “craneberry.” European settlers gave the berry this name because they thought the plant looked like a crane. In the 1600s, cranberries also were called “bearberries” because it was common to see bears snacking on them.
- American Indians were the first to use cranberries as food. They also used the berries as medicine and dye.
FAQs
According to Bruce Smith, senior scientist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, much of what is eaten at Thanksgiving today came from Mexico and South America. “We can trace many of these foods up through the southwestern United States into other parts of the country,” he said.
Where did Thanksgiving originate? ›
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast in 1621 that is widely acknowledged to be one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations.
What 3 foods did they eat on the first Thanksgiving? ›
But according to the two only remaining historical records of the first Thanksgiving menu, that meal consisted of freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl, cod, bass, and flint, and a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as corn bread and porridge.
What are the traditional foods for Thanksgiving? ›
THE FEAST. Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Who came to the first Thanksgiving dinner? ›
As was the custom in England, the Pilgrims celebrated their harvest with a festival. The 50 remaining colonists and roughly 90 Wampanoag tribesmen attended the "First Thanksgiving."
Why is turkey eaten on Thanksgiving? ›
Finally, amid the Civil War in 1863, Hale got her wish: President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. The turkey comes in because the big birds were plentiful in New England, often distributed to soldiers in the Army.
What is Thanksgiving to God? ›
The concept of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the Holy Bible, where it represents a fundamental aspect of God's people. In both the Old and New Testaments, Thanksgiving emphasizes gratitude and praise to God for His many blessings.
Was Thanksgiving originally religious? ›
Our modern definition of Thanksgiving revolves around eating turkey, but this was more of an occasion for religious observance in past centuries. The Pilgrims would most likely consider their sober 1623 day of prayer the first actual Thanksgiving, according to the History of Massachusetts Blog.
Where did Thanksgiving come from facts? ›
Here are nine fun facts about Thanksgiving to share around the dinner table.
- The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three day harvest festival. ...
- Turkey wasn't on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. ...
- Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3, 1863.
If the Pilgrims had managed to brew and age any beer with the barley they had grown, it wasn't much. They most likely just drank water.
Here's what a Thanksgiving meal cost the year you were born
| Year | Total meal cost: | Inflation adjusted cost: |
|---|
| 1949 | $5.62 | $45.43 |
| 1950 | $5.91 | $47.25 |
| 1951 | $6.48 | $48.49 |
| 1952 | $6.52 | $47.82 |
68 more rowsNov 21, 2018
So while our Thanksgiving dinner table has a big ol' turkey plated in the center, the first Thanksgiving table was likely filled with ducks, geese, eels, lobster, and venison.
How did Thanksgiving start? ›
Americans model their holiday on a 1621 harvest feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists known as Pilgrims. Canadians trace their earliest thanksgiving celebration to 1578, when an expedition led by Martin Frobisher gave thanks for its safe passage.
What are 3 main foods on Thanksgiving? ›
Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as "incomplete" without stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.
What were the original Thanksgiving dishes? ›
The first Thanksgiving banquet consisted of foods like venison, bean stew and hard biscuits. And while corn and pumpkin had their place on the table, they hardly resembled the cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie we feast on today.
Is Thanksgiving food Native American? ›
In the first celebration of this holiday, the Wampanoag tribe provided not only the food for the feast but also the teachings of agriculture and hunting (corn, beans, wild rice, and turkey are some specific examples of foods introduced by Native Americans).
What is the dark history of Thanksgiving? ›
The Europeans repaid their Native allies by seizing Native land and imprisoning, enslaving, and executing Native people. Following “Thanksgiving” celebrations by European settlers often marked brutal victories over Native people, like the Pequot Massacre of 1636 or the beheading of Wampanoag leader Metacom in 1676.
Why is the turkey the symbol of Thanksgiving? ›
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.
What is the significance of the Thanksgiving meal? ›
Thanksgiving in the United States is a time to gather with family and friends, share a traditional meal and express gratitude for the good things in life. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, the U.S. holiday traces its origins to a three-day harvest celebration held in 1621 in what is now Massachusetts.
