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The Pilgrims Didn’t, But I’m Gonna…

27 November 2008 5 Comments
The Pilgrims Didn’t, But I’m Gonna…

Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims didn’t feature turkey as the primary dish in that legendary first Thanksgiving dinner.

They ate deer.  According to the journal of one of the participants, Indians killed five of them — deer, not Pilgrims — for the big meal.  There’s also mention that others went hunting for fowl of some sort, but no one seems to know what kind of birds, if any, made their way to the table.  So even if a turkey or two was in unwilling attendance, it was merely a side dish.

The more likely main courses sharing the spotlight with deer were fish, clams and oysters.

I don’t mind fish, and I love a good bowl of clam chowder on a chilly afternoon.  But deer and oysters are two things I just don’t do.

But turkey is definitely on my good list.  And a few slices of Honeybaked Ham.  And the typical sides.

Followed by a nice tryptophan-induced coma.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

5 Comments »

  • Carly said:

    Hi Patrick :)

    A very Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours! Enjoy the day!

    Always, Carly

    # 27 November 2008 at 2:59 am
  • Astaryth said:

    Happy Turkey Day! Hope you are enjoying it with people you love!

    # 27 November 2008 at 8:29 am
  • Cat. said:

    I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know all this.

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

    # 27 November 2008 at 10:21 am
  • Donna W said:

    I prefer turkey and ham to deer myself. And now… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    # 27 November 2008 at 4:22 pm
  • wil said:

    Hope you had a happy. As to fowl in Massachusetts in the 1600′s (other than the “foul” F****** Christians) they would have routinely hunted wild turkeys, snow and Canada Goose, and ducks of both the freshwater and saltwater varieties. Pheasants had not yet been introduced. Deer, properly prepared, would have been a far tastier fare than any sea duck would have been and, second only to Moose, would have been the preferred meat of all native North Americans on the eastern shores. Consequently, it wouldn’t be appropriate to relegate the fowl course to side dish status. Certainly not on the same plane as a venison joint, but way ahead of the beans and greens which are the true side dishes of any meal.

    # 28 November 2008 at 6:11 pm

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