What did the Pilgrims eat at the first Thanksgiving?

今天在電視裏看到這樣一段對話,主持人問:What did the Pilgrims eat at the first Thanksgiving? Turkey or lobster?回答: lobster. 答者高興地得到一分禮物.
對這問題很感興趣,上網查詢,得到回答:

They ate seafood, nuts, grains, and spices.

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A Historical Look at the First Thanksgiving and Some Food for Thought

Have you ever wondered what foods were actually eaten at the first Thanksgiving? Historians maintain that our view of the first Thanksgiving may be more of a romanticized memory than hard fact. The holiday as we know it today is more representative of our country’s New England roots than the actual meal our founders probably enjoyed. Those curious about this first feast can be assured it was markedly different from what we eat today.

According to common convention, the first Thanksgiving was a feast of friendship that took place between the Massachusetts Bay Colony Pilgrims and the Wampanoag People, but many of the details have been lost to history. We do know that an autumnal harvest feast attended by both groups took place for three days in the early fall of 1621. Historical documents tell us that the first winter for the Pilgrims was a difficult one and it is believed that this gathering was a celebration of survival. The only confirmed dish served at the first Thanksgiving was venison, but evidence suggests there may also have been waterfowl including duck and goose, and perhaps wild turkey.

Today, a typical modern Thanksgiving table will likely include mashed and sweet potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. These foods would not have been present at the first Thanksgiving, although dried cranberries might have been part of a stuffing as they were native to New England. Potatoes were not commonly prepared at that time.

Historians have reconstructed a plausible menu that, in addition to the meats and fowl mentioned above, also includes seafood like eel, cod, clams and lobster—given Plymouth’s proximity to the bay. The proposed menu also likely consisted of corn meal, walnuts, chestnuts and herbs (which could have been combined as a stuffing) as well as fruits and vegetables such as grapes, plums, onions, beans, peas, and carrots. Pumpkin might also have been eaten, although pumpkin pie—as we enjoy today—would have been unlikely as sugar had not yet been imported from England.

The first Thanksgiving represents a truly “cool” Thanksgiving- the foods were produced, caught or hunted locally and there were likely very few imports. Today it may be difficult to replicate a Thanksgiving as “cool” as the first. Yet in our modern world, at a time when globalization and international trade means you can eat pineapple and sushi for Thanksgiving, people still hold on to traditional foods that are native and local. So while our modern meal might not truly resemble the “First Thanksgiving” meal, we have retained the value of that harvest feast – a celebration of the hard work that goes into producing our food and honoring the time to sit and enjoy it together. This Thanksgiving take the time to plan out a “cool” and “green” holiday filled with seasonal, local and organic products and be sure to give thanks to our country’s founders and find new ways to give thanks for our food, hearth, health and family.

今天我們所知道的感恩節的傳統食品,主菜通常是把火雞肚子裏塞上各種調料和拌好的食品，然後整隻烤出，還有甜山芋、土豆泥、玉米餅、南瓜派、紅莓苔子果醬等。 

1621年，當普利茅斯的英國殖民者與萬帕諾亞格印第安人慶祝頭一個感恩節時，他們的食品豐富。由於普利茅斯近海，當時龍蝦、海豹、美洲鰻和鱈魚都很豐饒，這些東西極有可能是第一個感恩節的主要菜肴。但是曆史學家隻能確定有兩種食品出現在那一年秋天的感恩節菜單上--鹿肉和野鳥並且不排除鵝、鴨子。這大概就是為什麽問及什麽是第一次感恩節上食物，龍蝦( lobster)是正確答案。 

感恩節的由來要一直追溯到美國曆史的發端。１６２０年，著名的“五月花”號船滿載不堪忍受英國國內宗教迫害的清教徒１０２人到達美洲。１６２０年和１６２１年之交的冬天，他們遇到了難以想象的困難，處在饑寒交迫之中，冬天過去時，活下來的移民隻有５０來人。這時，心地善良的印第安人給移民送來了生活必需品，還特地派人教他們怎樣狩獵、捕魚和種植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的幫助下，移民們終於獲得了豐收，在歡慶豐收的日子，按照宗教傳統習俗，移民規定了感謝上帝的日子，並決定為感謝印第安人的真誠幫助，邀請他們一同慶祝節日。 

在現代美國人的生活中，代際之間的地理距離，尤其是祖父祖母同孫輩之間，一般相隔很遙遠，這可能是美國家庭結構本身最為重要而普遍性的變化。它就使得感恩節這樣的節日在維係這樣的跨代家庭關係中變得更為重要。感恩節的慶祝食品總是拿來與其他一些情感因素融在一起。 

每年１１月的第四個星期四是感恩節 (Thanksgiving Day) 。感恩節是美國人民獨創的一個古老節日，也是美國人合家歡聚的節日，因此美國人提起感恩節總是倍感親切。對很多人來說無論離家多遠，都要在感恩節晚餐前趕回家。

感恩節快樂！