We all know the modern staples of a Thanksgiving dinner: cranberry sauce, roast turkey, stuffing and more. But would it surprise you to know that none of these were present at the first Thanksgiving feast?
It's true -- historians believe that most modern Thanksgiving foods are additions that have come over the years since the first feast. Other things that the settlers probably didn't eat? Potatoes, corn on the cob and pumpkin pie.
So if they didn't eat what we know as 'traditional' Thanksgiving foods today, what foods were present at this meal? Instead of wild turkey, it was likely that the settlers ate roast duck or goose. Additionally, seafood, including lobster, clams and mussels, made an appearance at the meal in the New England colony. The forest provided chestnuts and walnuts, and crops provided squash, carrots, and peas for sides. Though corn is one of the most iconic Thanksgiving foods, it's unlikely that settlers had corn on the cob this time of year -- the only corn present at the first Thanksgiving was dried.
Now that you know what foods actually made an appearance at the first Thanksgiving, we've put together 12 recipes that will help you give your feast a bit more authenticity. This year, don't be afraid to switch things up by going back to this holiday's roots.