Colonial Dining

Fourth of July brings about thoughts of barbecues and picnics. There's nothing like roasted meat followed by a cold draft of beer. Surprisingly what we're eating in the 21st Century wasn't that much different than what our country's founders dined on in the 18th Century. There was still meat cooked outside on a fire followed by home made brews - the first artisanal beers.

The average Colonist had the same amount of meals we have today. However lunch was a more 19th Century invention . Instead a bigger dinner was served at noon while a smaller repast was cooked for the evening hours. Breakfast came early for the working classes while the rich had what would be called brunch today. There were very few innovations so foods were either roasted, baked or boiled. Some caught their own meat such as wild turkey or deer along with terrapins, rabbits and the occasional possum. Many who were lucky to live along bays and the Atlantic had diets rich in seafood. Most foods were roasted over outdoor spits and eaten with wild onions ,leeks or even apples picked from local trees.

Our founding fathers would have been amazed at our addiction to water. Since there was no purification or desalination plants the water was often contaminated. Some colonists were smart enough to collect rain water or dig wells for fresh sweet water. Most though preferred their local taverns for ale or hard cider. There were coffee houses back then, sort of similar to our modern day Starbucks where men (not women) sat and sipped , discussing ideas and news of the day. Boston had the first established in 1678. Hot chocolate was also popular mostly amongst the upper classes. The lower classes though did have fresh milk provided by their cows.

When you think about it , there's not much difference food or drink wise between our colonial ancestors and us. They enjoyed a good roasted meat with ale. As with us they hung out in coffee house , drinking the best brews and discussing the events of the day. Our Founding Fathers would have loved this era- it's not that far removed food and drinkwise from theirs.