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.
How did turkey become a popular food served at Thanksgiving? ›
The turkey comes in because the big birds were plentiful in New England, often distributed to soldiers in the Army. By the end of the century, Smith writes, the typical Thanksgiving meal had a turkey at the center of the feast due to the bird's low price.
Where was the first Thanksgiving meal celebrated? ›
Although prayers and thanks were probably offered at the 1621 harvest gathering, the first recorded religious Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth happened two years later in 1623.
Why are certain foods associated with Thanksgiving? ›
Winslow didn't mention turkeys at all, but Bradford writes, "And besides waterfowl (duck or geese), there was a great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc." Americans started eating turkey for Thanksgiving in the mid-1800s after a popular magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale ...
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.
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.
What is the origin of Thanksgiving food? ›
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.
What was the real first Thanksgiving menu? ›
There are only two surviving documents that reference the original Thanksgiving harvest meal. They describe a feast of freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl, a bounty of cod and bass, and flint, a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as corn bread and porridge.
Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? ›
While turkey wasn't likely present in 1621, annual autumnal harvest dinners continued as turkey gained popularity as a source of protein. Indigenous to the area and plentiful, turkeys were larger than chickens, ducks, and geese, making them economical to serve to a crowd.
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 is Thanksgiving favorite food? ›
Most Traditional Thanksgiving Foods. A traditional Thanksgiving meal consists of roast turkey and many sides including stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans and cranberry sauce, with pumpkin pie as dessert.
What is the food culture for Thanksgiving? ›
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. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal.
What is the true story of Thanksgiving? ›
The pilgrims celebrated their successful harvest in 1621 by shooting their guns into the air, which caused Massasoit to bring together warriors and prepare for battle. Instead of fighting, the Wampanoag and pilgrims worked together to prepare a feast.
Why don't Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? ›
For many Native Americans Thanksgiving is not a heartwarming holiday marked by gathering with family and serving others, but rather “a reminder of genocide, colonialism, and oppression, it's a symbol of smallpox blankets, Christianity, land grabs and manifest destiny,” artist Tony Abeyta says.
What did the Pilgrims do to the natives on Thanksgiving? ›
Re-informing the history of Thanksgiving
James wrote a scathing indictment of the Pilgrims. He described how they desecrated Native American graves, stealing food and land and decimating the population with disease. The speech was deemed inappropriate and inflammatory and James was given a revised speech.
What is Thanksgiving in the Bible? ›
Thanksgiving in Biblical Context
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.
