It’s that time of year again — the holiday between Halloween and Christmas: Thanksgiving. I feel like most of the time it does not get the attention it deserves because some people (and we all know who) decorate for the Christmas holidays before they even celebrate Thanksgiving.

I, unlike those other people, love Thanksgiving. However, I am a poultry scientist, so it’s natural that I love to talk turkey. It seems this bird is very misunderstood, and this is why we are going to talk about the center of the plate bird and talk some turkey.

Turkeys are large birds from the genus Meleagris which are native to North America. There are 2 distinct species, the meleagris gallopavo which is what we are used to seeing and hunting here in the USA and the meleagris ocellata from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The earliest turkeys evolved over 20 million years ago and they share a common ancestor, the grouse. Turkeys were bred and domesticated by the indigenous people about 2,000 years ago.

There are two theories which may explain why they are called turkeys. The most plausible one is that the Europeans first saw turkeys in American and mistook them for guinea which they nicknamed turkey coq. Turkeys were exported to Europe via Spain around 1519 and gained immediate popularity. Mainly because Europeans were known for eating birds such as storks, grouse, herons, pheasants and were therefore used to eating a similar taste and texture. The turkey quickly spread through Europe as an aristocratic meal and made its way back to north America via England in the 17^th century.

Since turkeys were indigenous to the USA, they were often served in large crowds or for larger meals and celebrations. This tradition has continued to today. A whole turkey is not something we decide last minute to cook for a family dinner, as it takes time and planning. But it can feed many people and for that reason it makes a great meal for a large holiday gathering such as Thanksgiving.

In the early 1900s, turkeys had dark feathers and a smaller breast size. Consumers wanted more meat and fewer feather tracks. It was around this time that turkey breeding programs began to improve breast meat size and to change the feathers from dark brown to white to reduce the pin feather marks.

Fast forward to today, the turkey industry is about 25% the size of the broiler industry, but it still continues to make a huge impact in our lives. Most whole birds are eaten at Thanksgiving followed by Christmas, but the remainder of the year, consumers can enjoy further processed turkey products such as turkey deli meat, turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, and turkey cutlets. It has many opportunities to be the center of the plate.

Thanksgiving is always a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends. It is a time to enjoy company, laugh, and eat delicious food. As a poultry scientist, I can honestly say that the turkey does not get all the attention it deserves. This year, let’s put it in the center of our plate and talk some turkey. Spread a little history of the bird that keeps on feeding us, even after the dishes are done on Thanksgiving. Go out and talk some turkey this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

It's turkey time

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