Food in Massachusetts

The first Thanksgiving - consider it the first big food event in the United States- was celebrated in Massachusetts in 1621. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims arrived in 1620. They had brought supplies and seeds, but when they landed at Plymouth it was too late in the season to harvest any food. The soil and climate in the new land was not ad to some of their crops anyway.

Knowing virtually nothing about hunting, farming and gathering food in this new world, the Pilgrims would have starved to death had it not been for the help they received from Wampanoag Indians, who shared their food and knowledge through the winter.

Pilgrims and Wampanoag celebrated Thanksgiving together after the first successful crop. Ducks, geese, deer, cod, and bread were on that Thanksgiving menu, and also were wild turkeys, squashes, corn, local beans and cranberry sauce sweetened with maple sugar, foods not know to the Pilgrims before.

The first commercial yogurts were made in Andover in 1931. it was marketed as a health food but it became very popular when someone added strawberry jam to it. Massachusetts also helped to make chocolate chip cookies popular when Nestle Company published the recipe from inkeeper's wife at the Toll House Inn, Whitman, on the back of their chocolate wrappers.

MASSACHUSETTS FOODS

Massachusetts has the largest cranberry crop between the States. Cranberries are grown especially on Cape Cod, in wet areas called bogs. The bogs are flooded to protect the plants from pests and frost. Cranberries don’t mind as they need a large supply of water nearby. The cranberries have tiny air pockets inside and float to the surface. The harvesters only need to go in the water with big rakes to collect the crop.

Fishing is also important in Massachusetts. Fishing boats bring in scallops, cod, and haddock. Other farm products include milk and eggs.

People living on the coast eat lots of cod, lobster, fish and chips, fried clams, oysters and all kinds of seafood. Inland, the like seafood as well, but they tend to eat more meat. You will notice the healthy trends around university towns and medical center where the diet includes tofu, soy milk and ethnic foods and you can find a vegetarian restaurant almost in every corner.

…and food events

Cranberry Harvest Festival in September and you might double with the clam festival.

RECIPES FROM MASSACHUSETTS

Boston baked beans, Easy old fashioned meatloaf.

Related topics

World in pictures

Discover international cuisine, food, and wine a picture at a time.

Buoys at Rockport, Massachusetts

As in chili, add beans to meat casseroles and stews to make the food go further and add variety.

Remarkable

Massachusetts is one of the thirteen colonies. It is still governed by its original 1780 constitution, though it has been amended.

Massachusetts was the name of a Native American tribe. The name supposedly means "near the great hil."

Massachusetts sites

Massachusetts Vacation - tourist information.

Massachusetts government - the state site. There is a tab for visitors with maps & directions, transport, lodging and events information.

Cultural - Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Education - Massachussets Department of Education site.

Where to go from here?

First step would be stocking the staples you need to cook international. Why not follow the recommendations in our basic pantry?

Everything we know about wine is the wine cellar. Get started with wine. Know the basic types, how to taste it, and what is behind the names. Wine begins in the grapes and so should you.

More than wine and food

Find cooking tips, wine suggestions, menus planned and recommendations on how to pair food and wine. if you like travel and you like tasting the local food, this is your site. If you want to know about wine in everyday language, this is the right place. If you want to ignore the cultural stuff, skip this and go for the food recipes and wine suggestions. even if you don't know all the reasons, your food and wine will taste just as good.

Wherever you are

Don't forget to send a postcard!

And when you think you are done, remember there are other ways to learn about food and wine, and meet fellow food and wine lovers. Discover the fabulous food and wine related information hidden in books, magazines, and other web sites, look at further resources and get your souvenirs.

Copyright © world-food-and-wine.com | All Rights Reserved.