<P> As many of the New Englanders were originally from England, game hunting was useful when they immigrated to the New World . Many of the northern colonists depended upon their ability to hunt, or upon others from whom they could purchase game . Hunting was the preferred method of protein consumption . This was opposed to animal husbandry, which required much more work to defend the kept animals against raids . </P> <P> Commonly hunted game included deer, bear, buffalo, and wild turkey . The larger muscles of the animals were roasted and served with currant sauce, while the other smaller portions went into soups, stews, sausages, pies, and pastries . In addition to game, colonists' protein intake was supplemented by mutton . The Spanish in Florida originally introduced sheep to the New World, but this development never quite reached the North, and there they were introduced by the Dutch and English . The keeping of sheep was a result of the English non-practice of animal husbandry . The animals provided wool when young and mutton upon maturity after wool production was no longer desirable . The forage - based diet for sheep that prevailed in the Colonies produced a characteristically strong, gamy flavor and a tougher consistency, which required aging and slow cooking to tenderize . </P> <P> A number of fats and oils made from animals served to cook much of the colonial foods . Many homes had a sack made of deerskin filled with bear oil for cooking, while solidified bear fat resembled shortening . Rendered pork fat made the most popular cooking medium, especially from the cooking of bacon . Pork fat was used more often in the southern colonies than the northern colonies as the Spanish introduced pigs earlier to the South . The colonists enjoyed butter in cooking as well, but it was rare prior to the American Revolution, as cattle were not yet plentiful . </P> <P> Prior to the Revolution, New Englanders consumed large quantities of rum and beer, as maritime trade provided them relatively easy access to the goods needed to produce these items . Rum was the distilled spirit of choice, as the main ingredient, molasses, was readily available from trade with the West Indies . Further into the interior, however, one would often find colonists consuming whiskey, as they did not have similar access to sugar cane . They did have ready access to corn and rye, which they used to produce their whiskey . However, until the Revolution, many considered whiskey to be a coarse alcohol unfit for human consumption, as many believed that it caused the poor to become raucous and unkempt drunkards . In addition to these alcohol - based products produced in America, imports were seen on merchant shelves, including wine and brandy . </P>

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