Turkey, The Traditional Dish
The turkey that we eat at Thanksgiving has a fascinating history. It is a misnomer because it is a bird common to the American continent and not to Turkey. It reached Spain when it was taken there from Mexico.
The most striking feature of a turkey is its gobble, a low pitched staccato note that can be recognized anywhere among dozens of other bird calls. Its regal appearance once encouraged Benjamin Franklin to call for its adoption as the national bird in place of the eagle.
Though the turkey was not proclaimed the national bird, it has earned its place as the principal ingredient of every Thanksgiving dinner. No Thanksgiving celebration would be complete without this magnificent bird in any of its presentations. Baked, deep fried or roasted, it is big enough to feed a family of ten or more, with an average weight of 15 pounds. When stuffed, and accompanied by the side dishes that are popular at this time, it is indeed a meal for the occasion.
The tradition of giving amnesty to a turkey on Thanksgiving is perhaps an acknowledgment of its utility as a food source. The lucky bird is allowed to live the rest of his life at either Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida. His less fortunate brethren are destined to grace the table on the fourth Thursday in November.
Turkey recipes are many, especially at Thanksgiving, when the many ways of preparing this holiday dish are discussed. The most popular method is probably that of roasting the bird. This was probably the method that was used by those celebrating the first Thanksgiving, since they did not possess any ovens for baking. Governor Bradford mentions that they ate radishes and Indian corn with their turkey. Today, it is usually accompanied by gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
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