Wild turkeys roost during the day, fanning their feathers and strutting to impress. Males become especially active during breeding season by puffing themselves up and gobbling to attract potential hens.
When purchasing a commercial turkey, make sure its ingredients don’t contain salt, sugar, or other additives that could potentially compromise its taste. Also look out for kosher turkeys which adhere to Jewish dietary laws and don’t need to be brined prior to slaughtering.
The Origins of the Name
The turkey is an odd bird. Originating in North America, its name has come to be associated with Turkey in Middle Eastern countries despite having no connection between them. How this came to pass is an intriguing example of how history, trade, and linguistics can combine into unexpected but fascinating phenomena.
Cortes was likely the first European to encounter the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), probably during his expedition to Mexico in 1519. They would likely have known something of these birds due to Turkish merchants trading them into Europe–in particular their connection to Western African helmeted guinea fowl, known by its Turkish moniker: Guinea fowl.
As soon as settlers in America encountered their first woodland turkeys, they used their knowledge of African guinea fowl in naming them. Perhaps due to being larger than guinea fowl brought over from Europe via Turkish traders’ traders’ introduction of them as pets made them sound like turkeys and this name stuck.
As turkey farms spread across Europe, their association with Turkey became further cemented. The word “turkey” in English dates back to 16th-century use for the guinea fowl; according to OED research.
Some scholars argue that when turkey became synonymous with Turkey, this association stemmed from European breeders importing turkeys from this faraway land–Turkistan. Unfortunately, this theory fails due to already being associated with Ottoman empire by 17th century and no evidence pointing toward British importers of Guinea fowl being native of region that would later become Turkey.
The most likely explanation for the association between turkeys and Turkey can be found during Elizabethan era confusion about Columbus finding passage to India (at that time thought to be part of Asia), combined with items coming into England from distant locations often being labeled Turkish this or Turkish that.
The Wild Turkey
Thanksgiving turkeys are descended from wild turkeys. Wild turkeys weigh up to 25 pounds and reside in brush areas across eastern and central United States, where they inhabit various habitats. Opportunistic foragers, they feed on grass, seeds, nuts, berries, fungus insects and even reptiles. Male turkeys (known as toms) feature red wattles below their chin which they use to communicate with other males as they age – in turn growing a “beard” on their chest that adds personality.
The North American wild turkey comprises five distinct subspecies and comes with several color morphs. Of the five, Rio Grande turkeys feature shorter legs than their Western and Eastern counterparts and can be found throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon and Utah. Ocellated turkeys found in Central America have brightly-hued plumage that resembles that of peacocks.
Wild turkeys possess outstanding eyesight–twice as vivid as a human’s 20/20 vision–with an expansive field of view covering 270 degrees. Additionally, they possess an innate sense of caution, which allows them to avoid both predators and humans, yet when necessary can run quickly–up to 60 miles per hour!
Since the late 1900s, wild turkey populations had declined due to overhunting and habitat loss; however, conservation efforts have helped the species return to health and can now be found at numerous state parks and wildlife management areas such as Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois.
Domesticated turkeys are typically raised solely for dinner tables; not as game birds. Without their wild counterparts’ instinctive wood smarts, domestic turkeys don’t often fare as well in natural conditions and are easily preyed upon by predators such as bobcats, foxes and coyotes. Selective breeding has further decreased their flying capabilities due to reduced wings and necks that make them heavier and wider than their wild relatives.
Domestic turkeys resemble their wild counterparts in genetic terms, yet differ greatly in form and function due to selective breeding programs designed to create heavier birds with wider chests that meet chef and commercial producer preferences.
The Domestic Turkey
Domestic turkeys may genetically be identical to their wild cousins, yet domestic breeds lack the ability to fly and have shorter legs due to selective breeding by commercial farms that has resulted in larger birds with wider breasts that can carry more weight and yield more meat.
Domestic turkeys are a popular table bird choice in the United States, often serving as centerpieces at holiday tables. Broad Breasted White turkeys are the predominant breed at industrial turkey farms and generally receive presidential pardons on Thanksgiving. Other popular domestic breeds of turkey include Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Slate (Spanish or Norfolk Black), and Narragansett turkeys.
As turkeys have become a more popular dining option, their demand has also skyrocketed. Commercial turkeys are raised in large barns where they live with other similar birds known as flocks; and are sold either fresh or frozen depending on customer preferences; defrosting may require several days prior to cooking.
Turkeys in the wild can sustain themselves with food by eating native trees and plants such as chestnuts, beech nuts, walnuts and hickory. Their agility enables them to avoid predators due to good eyesight and hearing capabilities as well as native cunning that allows them to hide efficiently from potential threats.
Wild turkeys also benefit from being able to communicate among themselves. Males can do this through calling, or gobbling – which sounds similar to goose calls used for hunting purposes – while domestic turkeys, however, cannot talk – instead using appearance and sound warning systems as warning signals when approached by potential predators.
Domestic turkeys do not possess the instincts and abilities of their wild cousins, making them easy targets in an environment filled with predators. Furthermore, due to a lack of wood smarts introduced by humans, these birds are vulnerable to diseases introduced from outside sources and therefore state laws prohibit releasing pen-raised domestic turkeys back into nature.
The Holiday Turkey
As its name suggests, turkey is a festive food and often featured at holiday celebrations. Thanksgiving in particular has long been seen as a time to commemorate harvesting efforts and give thanks for achievements; thus resulting in large feasts being hosted every year with turkey being an ideal candidate for such meals due to being so succulent, juicy and tender after roasting.
As for why turkeys are usually on the menu at Thanksgiving, there are numerous practical considerations involved. One such factor was probably Sarah Joseph Hale selecting turkeys as one of only few birds capable of providing enough sustenance for an entire gathering or family at once – this factor may have played an essential part when selecting meat for his historic Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving meals often feature an assortment of dishes ranging from appetizers and soup to side salads and desserts, with turkey being the main course. There are various methods available to you for preparing it; the easiest being simply placing it into a roasting pan or deep oven until golden brown!
Baking a turkey is another popular option that’s simple to do with practice. A roasting pan should be filled with celery stocks or wire racks to elevate it from the bottom of the pan, and poking holes in your bag to cook your poultry allows it to breathe while remaining moist and succulent during baking.
Christmas and New Year’s Day also involve turkey roasts as public holidays; numerous events take place to mark this special occasion, from music concerts and plays to torchlight parades in Kalkan where shops, restaurants and houses proudly display Turkish flags and pictures of Ataturk to mark it.