What They Really Ate in 1621: The First Thanksgiving Menu

A Three-Day Harvest Gathering, Not “Thanksgiving”

The event we now call the “First Thanksgiving” was a three-day harvest celebration in the fall of 1621 shared by the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag people.
It wasn’t called Thanksgiving.
It wasn’t a formal holiday.
And the menu looked nothing like the dishes found on today’s tables.

The best historical evidence comes from two sources:
• Edward Winslow’s brief 1621 account in Mourt’s Relation
• William Bradford’s later writings in Of Plymouth Plantation

Neither offers a full menu — but what they do describe gives scholars a remarkably clear picture.

Meat Was the Centerpiece — But Not Turkey

Winslow recorded that Governor William Bradford sent men out “fowling,” which could mean ducks, geese, and swans — much more common in New England marshes than wild turkey.
Turkey may have been present, but it was not the star of the meal.

The most certain detail?

The Wampanoag brought five deer.

Venison was almost certainly the highlight of the gathering.

Other possible meats included:
• Eels, often roasted
• Shellfish, including clams and mussels
• Fish, especially bass and cod, which were abundant

Protein was plentiful and diverse — reflecting both cultures’ knowledge of their surroundings.

Corn Was Central, but Not on the Cob

Corn was a staple of Wampanoag agriculture. But it wasn’t served as today’s corn-on-the-cob.

In autumn, corn would have already been dried and ground.
Likely dishes included:
• Nasaump — a thick cornmeal porridge
• Cornbread-like cakes prepared from ground maize

Corn was prepared in ways that sustained both peoples through the winter.

Vegetables and Fruits of the Season

Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag families would have included foods available in late autumn, such as:
• Squash
• Pumpkins (but not pumpkin pie — there was no butter or wheat flour)
• Beans
• Onions and leeks
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Cabbage

Fresh berries, such as cranberries, were available — but there was no sugar for sauce or relish.

No Pies, No Rolls, No Potatoes

Many modern staples simply didn’t exist in New England in 1621.

Absent from the 1621 table:

• Potatoes (white or sweet)
• Cranberry sauce
• Gravy (no flour for roux)
• Apple pie (no apples yet)
• Butter
• Sugar
• Wheat flour
• Stuffing as we know it

The feast was hearty, but it was nothing like modern Thanksgiving dinners.

Flavors and Cooking Methods

Colonists roasted meats over open fires or baked them in clay ovens.
The Wampanoag cooked using:
• earth ovens
• boiling with hot stones
• roasting on spits

Herbs such as sage, thyme, and parsley were available and may have seasoned the fowl.

The combination of Wampanoag knowledge and English cooking created dishes unique to early colonial New England.

A Shared Meal Rooted in Survival

More than anything, the 1621 gathering was a moment of cooperation, gratitude for survival, and celebration of harvest after a brutal first year.

Historians emphasize that while the foods were simple, the meaning of the gathering was profound:
Two distinct cultures, each contributing what they had, coming together to share the bounty of the season.