Daily Diet in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630s–1680s)

The Puritan settlers of Massachusetts Bay ate a **hybrid diet**: familiar English staples adapted to New England's ecology and Wampanoag knowledge.

Protein: The "Three Sisters" + Sea & Forest

• Fish & Shellfish (Daily Staple): **Cod** (salted for export/year-round), bass, mackerel, herring, flounder. **Lobster, clams, oysters, mussels** — so abundant they were "poverty food" (fed to servants, prisoners, pigs).
• Game: Deer (venison), moose, bear, beaver, rabbit, squirrel. Turkey, passenger pigeon (extinct), heath hen, ducks, geese.
• Livestock (Growing over time): Cattle (beef, dairy), swine (pork, lard — forest foraging), sheep (wool, mutton), poultry. By 1650, most families had a cow & pig.

Carbohydrates: Corn is King

• Indian Corn (Maize): Learned from Wampanoag. **Johnnycakes** (cornmeal griddle cakes), **hasty pudding** (cornmeal mush), **samp** (coarsely ground corn), **cornbread** (rye/injun blend). **Rye** (rye'n'injun bread) — hardier than wheat.
• Wheat: Difficult (rust, climate). Imported flour for fine bread (status).
• Barley/Oats: Beer (essential — water unsafe), porridge, animal feed.

Vegetables & Fruits

• Garden: Cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions, leeks, peas, beans, pumpkins, squash, herbs (thyme, sage, mint).
• Orchard: **Apples** (cider — daily drink), pears, plums, cherries, quinces. Cider vinegar for preservation.
• Wild: Berries (blueberry, cranberry, strawberry), nuts (chestnut, walnut, hickory), greens (dandelion, sorrel), maple syrup/sugar.

Preservation & Seasonality

• Salt, smoke, dry, pickle, ferment. Salt cod, salt pork, smoked herring, sauerkraut, dried beans/peas, root cellars (turnips, carrots, apples).
• Winter diet: Salt meat, beans, root veg, bread, cider, dried fruit. Scurvy risk by March.

Imports (Cash/Trade)

• Sugar, molasses, rum (triangular trade), spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger), tea (later 17th C), coffee, chocolate, citrus, raisins, currants, wine, vinegar, salt (before local works).

The diet was **monotonous, seasonal, calorie-dense, and locally sourced**—shaped by Puritan thrift, New England soil, and Indigenous generosity (Squanto's corn lesson).