All about Thanksgiving Turkey

Nov. 23, 2008

Question: Why did the turkey cross the road?
Probably because a group of these birds - often seen in Northern Michigan attempting to slowly and haphazardly cross the road in front of your car - are members of what is called a “rafter,” although they’re often incorrectly called a flock...
It’s thought that this bird is so unintelligent that it will look up directly into a rainstorm until it drowns itself...
And the domestic version of the bird is perceived to be so dumb that it doesn’t know it can’t fly (the wild variety flies quite well, however - at least enough to find itself a perch in a tree.)
In spite of these downfalls, Benjamin Franklin thought of it as a “noble and courageous” bird, and felt it should be the symbol for the new United States of America (it lost, obviously, to the eagle.) But no matter how you, er, slice it, the focus of many Thanksgiving dinners around the country is none other than the turkey.

SYMBOLIC BIRD
Turkeys were once so easily found in the wild that they were a common food source prior to the 20th century, with pork ribs, goose, or beef being more of a “holiday” feast food. It’s now eaten year-round in the U.S. (except for the one turkey that’s “pardoned” by the president each year and sent to a petting farm).
But how does today’s turkey get from the farm to your dinner plate? The domesticated turkey would live around 10 years were we not to interrupt it for our dinners. Commercial turkey farms are responsible for most of the turkeys that are found in today’s supermarkets, raising the baby turkeys (or “poults”) to adulthood and then processing them through poultry plants, after which they are then made available as fresh or frozen to the consumer.
Not all of these processes are done in a manner that treats the animal well, however - and many turkeys are injected with vegetable oils, saline solution, or brine to help “improve” the meat. So, if you’re not a vegetarian but still want to purchase your food in a responsible manner, you’d do best to look for a turkey that has been raised organically.

BETTER BIRD
“Organic” can be a more complex terminology than the one simple word implies: was your Thanksgiving turkey raised cage-free, free of antibiotics, or free-range? Was it truly “free-range,” as in the birds running around in a well-kept field; or was it “free-range” by the minimal definition of the world - as in, the barn door was open and the turkey could merely see outside?
There are many websites online through which you can check the different takes on your turkey: www.wholesomeharvest.com has good info on the different terms (look under “Advantages/Beyond Organic”), and www.sustainabletable.org explains how you can seek out organic and “heritage” turkeys that are pasture-raised. If you’re not sure exactly what you’re getting from your local grocery store or butcher, ask direct questions to make sure your turkey was processed in as cruelty-free a way as possible.

TOFURKY AND UNTURKEY
For those who enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving without actually harming a real turkey, there are other choices. Turtle Island Foods (www.tofurky.com) is one place that offers a healthy vegetarian Thanksgiving feast, complete with a tofurky roast made of organic soybeans and seitan (wheat gluten), wild rice stuffing, cranberry-apple-potato dumplings, faux “giblet” gravy (the giblets being more tofurky cubes), and even tofurky “Wishstix.”
The UnTurkey from www.nowandzen.net is a non-meat feast made from wheat gluten covered with a soy skin and includes gravy for a “convenient, compassionate Thanksgiving centerpiece.” And the slightly more unusual Quorn-brand Turk’y Roast uses mycoproteins, egg, and milk to make its “roast,” giving non-meat eaters another option so that everyone, regardless of dietary choice, can celebrate another great Thanksgiving.