by June Chua

Where do turkeys come from?

Turkey is a variety of pheasant. Archaeological evidence suggests turkeys roamed North America as far back as 10 million years ago. Native Americans domesticated them about 2,000 years ago.

Wild turkeys are found in hardwood forests with grassy areas and spend the night in trees. They have excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is 270 degrees. They can fly short distances at up to 90 km/hr and can run at speeds up to 40 km/hr. Turkeys do not see well at night.

Domesticated turkeys do not fly, due to selective breeding.

A male turkey is called a "tom" and a female turkey a "hen." A large group of turkeys is called a "flock."

Image from MorgueFile

Why are they called turkeys?

There are several theories:

• the Native American name for turkey is "firkee."
• the wild turkey's call sounds like "turk-turk-turk"
• Christopher Columbus named them "turka," which is a peacock in the Tamil language of India. Columbus thought the New World was connected to India.

Why do turkeys gobble?

Male turkeys gobble, hens do a clicking sound. The gobble is a seasonal call for the males. They also gobble when they hear loud noises and when they settle in for the night.

What are those fleshy things on turkey heads?

The long, red, fleshy area that grows from the forehead over the bill is a "snood," while the fleshy growth under the turkey's throat is called a "wattle." These pieces fill up with blood and turn bright red when a tom wants to attract a hen but they can also turn blue if the turkey is scared. If a turkey isn't feeling well, the snood and wattle become very pale

Are there different breeds?

Common domesticated breeds include: Bronze, Broad Breasted Bronze, Broad Breasted Large White, Black, Bourbon Red, White Holland, Narragansett, and Beltsville Small White.

How did turkey become the bird of choice for holidays?

A type of harvest festival had been celebrated for many years in England and roast goose was part of the offerings. When pilgrims came to the New World, they carried on that tradition but there weren't many geese. Since there were lots of wild turkeys, they roasted the turkeys instead. Turkeys started to become more popular in the Old World after the publication, in 1843, of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Ebenezer Scrooge bought a large turkey for Christmas dinner after seeing the error of his ways.

How many turkeys are grown in Canada?

Canada is the eighth largest producer of turkeys at 19.6 million a year. The United States is number one.

How many are eaten?

10.2 million whole turkeys are consumed annually in Canada, that's about 4.2 kg per person. The rest is eaten in parts: breast, legs, sandwich meat etc… The average Canadian eats turkey about 15.5 times a year — more than half of the turkeys consumed annually are eaten on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The top turkey-eating country in the world is Israel at 13.2 kg/ per person (pp) every year.

Here's how other countries measure up:

• United States: 8 kg/ pp
• France: 6.6 kg/ pp
• Italy: 5.6 kg/ pp
• Germany: 5 kg/ pp
• United Kingdom: 4.2 kg/ pp

Why do I feel sleepy after eating turkey?

Turkey contains an amino acid called L-Tryptophan. It's thought to be a natural sleep aid and helps produce serotonin, which has a tranquilizing effect. Starchy foods, such as potatoes, contain L-Tryptophan.

What's the nutrient content?

Nutrient	Dark meat (raw, skinless, boneless) (meat from turkey thigh and drum-stick) Per 100 gram serving	White meat (raw, skinless, boneless) (meat from turkey breast) Per 100 gram serving
Calories	105	103
Fat	2.73 g	0.82 g
Cholesterol	61 mg	50 mg
Protein	19.1 g	23.4 g

What's with the cranberry sauce and stuffing?

It's believed Native Americans taught the colonists how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn, squash and pumpkin dishes. That's why the traditional turkey meal includes cranberries.

The origins of stuffing are not certain. Some experts say it's a traditional dish made from bread and vegetables and most probably originated in Eastern Europe . The pilgrims likely transplanted this from the Old World .

What's the best way to prepare roast turkey?

Whole turkeys can be kept frozen for one year, parts for six months. Once you thaw the bird, do not refreeze until you cook it. A frozen, pre-stuffed turkey should not be thawed. Cook from the frozen state and follow instructions on the packaging.

The ideal way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. Place the turkey on a tray on a bottom shelf and allow 10 hours per kilogram or five hours per pound.

To prepare the turkey:

• wash hands with hot, soapy water before handling the turkey
• remove the neck and giblets from the body
• wash utensils, dishes, surfaces used for cutting turkey with hot, soapy water
• preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius)
• don't pack in the stuffing because it will expand while it cooks, allow ½ cup (125 ml) of stuffing per pound (500g) of turkey
• place turkey breast up on a rack in a shallow pan
• insert a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the inner thigh, not touching the bone
• roast uncovered or loosely covered with foil. Baste once an hour if you like
• the turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius) for an unstuffed turkey or 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius) for stuffed turkey and the juices run clear
• let stand 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to set

FACT BOX

Other Turkey Facts

The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, stew or soup, salad, casserole and stir-fry
• Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the moon
• The ballroom dance the "turkey trot" was named for the short, jerky steps that turkeys take
• Turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere .
• A fully-mature turkey has 3,500 feathers

LINKS:

http://www.canadianturkey.ca/indexe.htm

Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html

University of Illinois : turkey facts

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkeyfacts.html

Turkey Trivia

http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/recipes.html

National Turkey Federation: recipes

http://www.worldfamousrecipes.com/turkey-recipes.html

World Famous Recipes: turkey