Turkey

A large gallinaceous bird, Meleagris gallopavo, with a fan-shaped tail, native to North America. In 1519, the Mayans of the Yucatán introduced Hernán Ferdinand Cortés to turkey. Turkeys appeared in England only four years later. How the turkey got its names is unclear, but there are a number of curious theories. One theory says Columbus, when he arrived in the New World believing it was connected with India, surmised the bird was part of the Indian peacock family. Thus he decided to name them tuka, which is the word for peacock in the language of India. Then there is the theory that says the turkey name came from the sound they make when afraid, "Turk, turk, turk." In 1538, poule d'Inde, "chicken of the Indies" was first served in France. The French called the hen turkey dinde, and the tom turkey dindon. The Spanish called them pavo. Turkey would gradually replace peacock, swan and other birds on English tables; by the end of the 16th century, peacock or swan, whose meat is tough and stringy compared to turkey, were rarely eaten again.

In 1784, when Benjamin Franklin was given a medal honoring officers of the Continental Army, he took exception to the eagle depicted on it, saying, "It looks too much like a turkey and...for my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character...The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. Eagles have been found in all countries, but the turkey was particular to ours...He is besides (though a little vain and silly, it's true, but not the worse I hope for that) a bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards who should present to invade his farmyard with a red coat." In some parts of the U.S., turkeys are called "bronze" or "bronze turkey."

According to the National Turkey Federation in the U.S., about 690 million pounds of turkey were gobbled up at American Thanksgiving dinners in 2004 alone. The group also claims that U.S. astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong - in thanksgiving for a safe landfall, perhaps - enjoyed a foil-packed, space-food version of turkey with all the trimmings for their first meal on the moon. Increasingly, cooks who want to replace ground beef or pork with a leaner, lower-cholesterol alternative are using ground turkey in burgers, chili, meat loaf and tacos. See also temperature.

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