November is the month known for Thanksgiving. While turkey is the ‘traditional’ food, along with stuffing and cranberry sauce, it’s widely believed turkey was not served at the first celebration in 1621. Roasted or stewed deer meat was probably on the menu, along with local vegetables like onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, and squash. Fruit may have included sides like blueberries, plums, grapes, raspberries, gooseberries, and, of course, cranberries (though not as cranberry sauce).
I find the fact that seafood was most likely served particularly exciting: mussels, lobster, bass, clams, and oysters. This year, I might skip adding oysters to the stuffing and enjoy them as a main dish. However, living in Tucson, they certainly won’t be fresh!
The Desert’s Indigenous Harvest
Speaking of living in Tucson, this area was certainly occupied in 1621. If the Pilgrims had wandered into the Sonoran Desert, what might a Thanksgiving feast here include?
The area was inhabited by the Hohokam and their descendants, including the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham (Pima) peoples. These cultures were excellent farmers, cultivating plants like squash, cotton, and corn, and especially the nutritious tepary beans.
A historical desert feast would offer a wealth of flavors:
- Farm-Grown Staples: Corn, tepary beans, melons, and squash.
- Meats: Obtained through hunting, options included jackrabbits, deer, javelina, and various birds. Fish could also be found in the rivers.
- Gathered Delicacies: A variety of vegetables and fruits gathered from the countryside, such as agave (maybe even fermented), cactus fruits (including saguaro and prickly pear), mesquite bean pods, cholla buds, yucca, wild seeds, and amaranth greens.
- Spices: Important for flavor were chiltepin chilies and the use of mesquite wood for cooking. They were also early users of sea salt from Mexico.
Perhaps a celebratory meal would feature a bean and corn stew. This would include tepary beans simmered with dried corn, dried squash, wild greens, and herbs, spiced with chiltepin peppers and salt. This sounds tasty and could be served along with deer slowly roasted over a mesquite wood fire.
Maybe this year, I’ll pass on the stuffed turkey and try some local historical cuisine instead!
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