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Turkey is mostly cooked in America around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but can be eaten year round. It has risen in popularity over the last forty years to make it one of the most popular meats, a popular choice for sandwich meat, burgers and salads. Though it is high in the amino acid tryptophan, it does not contain it in levels that would actually cause sleepiness. The sleepy feeling people get after Thanksgiving dinner is probably due to the overall amount of food consumed.
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- Native to North America
- Turkey meat can be eaten sliced, ground or whole
- Usually roasted, but can be fried
- Domesticated turkey descends from wild turkey
- Male turkey: Tom
- Female turkey: Hen
- Chick: Poult
- Turkeys are recognizable by their wattle, the flap of skin that hangs below their beak
- Major source of protein for the Aztecs
- Introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers
- Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the symbol for the U.S. but the bald eagle won out
- Most turkeys available in supermarkets are frozen first
- You must thaw a frozen turkey before roasting it
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Roasting Turkey Tips
- Roasted turkey is traditionally served with stuffing, but a turkey will cook more quickly unstuffed. Cooks in a hurry or worried about bacteria transfer from the turkey to the stuffing should heat their stuffing on the side.
- Internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit indicates doneness.
- Allow 24 hours in the refrigerator to thaw a frozen turkey.
