What did the Pilgrims eat at the first Thanksgiving?

今天在电视里看到这样一段对话,主持人问:What did the Pilgrims eat at the first Thanksgiving? Turkey or lobster?回答: lobster. 答者高兴地得到一分礼物.
对这问题很感兴趣,上网查询,得到回答:

They ate seafood, nuts, grains, and spices.

另一篇文章和大家分享

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 Historical documents tell us that the first winter for the Pilgrims was a difficult one and it is believed that this gathering was a celebration of survival.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.

今天我们所知道的感恩节的传统食品,主菜通常是把火鸡肚子里塞上各种调料和拌好的食品，然后整只烤出，还有甜山芋、土豆泥、玉米饼、南瓜派、红莓苔子果酱等。 

1621年，当普利茅斯的英国殖民者与万帕诺亚格印第安人庆祝头一个感恩节时，他们的食品丰富。由于普利茅斯近海，当时龙虾、海豹、美洲鳗和鳕鱼都很丰饶，这些东西极有可能是第一个感恩节的主要菜肴。但是历史学家只能确定有两种食品出现在那一年秋天的感恩节菜单上--鹿肉和野鸟并且不排除鹅、鸭子。这大概就是为什么问及什么是第一次感恩节上食物，龙虾( lobster)是正确答案。 

感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。１６２０年，著名的“五月花”号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒１０２人到达美洲。１６２０年和１６２１年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有５０来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。 

在现代美国人的生活中，代际之间的地理距离，尤其是祖父祖母同孙辈之间，一般相隔很遥远，这可能是美国家庭结构本身最为重要而普遍性的变化。它就使得感恩节这样的节日在维系这样的跨代家庭关系中变得更为重要。感恩节的庆祝食品总是拿来与其他一些情感因素融在一起。 

每年１１月的第四个星期四是感恩节 (Thanksgiving Day) 。感恩节是美国人民独创的一个古老节日，也是美国人合家欢聚的节日，因此美国人提起感恩节总是倍感亲切。对很多人来说无论离家多远，都要在感恩节晚餐前赶回家。

感恩节快乐！