Why do we eat turkey at Christmas?

[barryqwalsh]

Turkeys are, natively, a North American bird, so their insertion into British and Irish Christmases is somewhat unusual.

The tradition is rooted, like many traditions, in practicality.

Turkeys were imported into Britain in 1526, being sold for a tuppence each. This made them far cheaper than chickens and far less useful than cows (who produce milk, which was handy).

But why the Christmas tradition?

Why do we eat turkey at Christmas?

 

[mdk]

Neat article. Most people I know eat ham at Christmas.

 

[Pogo]

Turkeys are, natively, a North American bird, so their insertion into British and Irish Christmases is somewhat unusual.

The tradition is rooted, like many traditions, in practicality.

Turkeys were imported into Britain in 1526, being sold for a tuppence each. This made them far cheaper than chickens and far less useful than cows (who produce milk, which was handy).

But why the Christmas tradition?

Why do we eat turkey at Christmas?

Also, at every Renaissance Faire I've ever been to the choice food item that's omnipresent is the Turkey Leg.

Article sez:

>> Even that didn’t put them on every table. Being more expensive than goose, it was still considered a luxury – A Christmas Carol features Scrooge buying one for Bob Cratchit. <<​

Strange --- in every version of A Christmas Carol I've ever heard it was a goose Scrooge buys.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Turkeys are, natively, a North American bird, so their insertion into British and Irish Christmases is somewhat unusual.

The tradition is rooted, like many traditions, in practicality.

Turkeys were imported into Britain in 1526, being sold for a tuppence each. This made them far cheaper than chickens and far less useful than cows (who produce milk, which was handy).

But why the Christmas tradition?

Why do we eat turkey at Christmas?

I'd say there are probably a lot of reasons.

Certainly, the fact that they make for a large and rather uniquely special meal (because how many of us are willing to screw around with roasting a turkey on any other occasion besides Thanksgiving and Christmas?) would be one.

I'd say there's also a convenience factor involved. My understanding is that it takes about two years for a turkey farmer to raise a bird to the appropriate average size and fat content ('cause that's where the flavor is) for a holiday meal. Now obviously, turkey farmers are aiming most of their efforts at the Thanksgiving market, with relatively few of them being made available during the rest of the year, when most people are not going to be willing to screw around with it. With Christmas only a month later, this makes it relatively easy to simply plan for a big, two-month market span. Which means, of course, that turkeys are going to be quite inexpensive around that time, making them a more attractive purchase for people planning large, elaborate meals.

Sort of a self-fulfilling cycle.

Also, there's the fact that geese were traditional Christmas birds in Europe, but are not commonly or inexpensively available in the US. Turkeys, given their size and flavor, are a close substitute.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Neat article. Most people I know eat ham at Christmas.

We usually buy both at the same time, then have one on the holiday and the other after the leftovers of the first are gone.

 

[mdk]

Neat article. Most people I know eat ham at Christmas.

We usually buy both at the same time, then have one on the holiday and the other after the leftovers of the first are gone.

We always did ham b/c my mom would turn it scalloped potatoes and ham afterwards.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Neat article. Most people I know eat ham at Christmas.

We usually buy both at the same time, then have one on the holiday and the other after the leftovers of the first are gone.

We always did ham b/c my mom would turn it scalloped potatoes and ham afterwards.

We had ham after Thanksgiving, and I turned the leftovers into jambalaya.

I love holiday meals for leftover creativity.

 

[Vigilante]

Because WE CAN!

 

[S.J.]

I prefer a standing rib roast at Christmas and a bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. My wife doesn't always like cook it though, she would rather have ham. Boring.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I prefer a standing rib roast at Christmas and a bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. My wife doesn't always like cook it though, she would rather have ham. Boring.

Yeah, well, I wish I could afford a standing rib roast, but that's probably not happening.

I really enjoy roasting turkeys, but it's a fact that I'm only willing to go to the trouble a couple of times a year.

 

[S.J.]

I prefer a standing rib roast at Christmas and a bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. My wife doesn't always like cook it though, she would rather have ham. Boring.

Yeah, well, I wish I could afford a standing rib roast, but that's probably not happening.

I really enjoy roasting turkeys, but it's a fact that I'm only willing to go to the trouble a couple of times a year.

I just had to shell out $900 for car repairs this month so unfortunately it's gonna be ham this year.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I prefer a standing rib roast at Christmas and a bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. My wife doesn't always like cook it though, she would rather have ham. Boring.

Yeah, well, I wish I could afford a standing rib roast, but that's probably not happening.

I really enjoy roasting turkeys, but it's a fact that I'm only willing to go to the trouble a couple of times a year.

I just had to shell out $900 for car repairs this month so unfortunately it's gonna be ham this year.

I'm saving up for a new car, and then upgrades to the computers, and then . . . You see where this is going.

 

[Shrimpbox]

Start selling some of your jambalaya. I would,love to contribute to a new car and computer for that kind of grocery.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Start selling some of your jambalaya. I would,love to contribute to a new car and computer for that kind of grocery.

If you lived in town, I'd be happy to sell you homemade tamales.

 

[Yarddog]

Turkeys are, natively, a North American bird, so their insertion into British and Irish Christmases is somewhat unusual.

The tradition is rooted, like many traditions, in practicality.

Turkeys were imported into Britain in 1526, being sold for a tuppence each. This made them far cheaper than chickens and far less useful than cows (who produce milk, which was handy).

But why the Christmas tradition?

Why do we eat turkey at Christmas?

We need a big slaughter once a year to keep the herd down you know..........

balance of nature and all that .

 

[barryqwalsh]

You're really only a few days away from having to figure out how the hell are you going to cook that turkey? On top of that, which turkey are you going to pick? And how are you going to cook it safely?


Everything you need to know about your Christmas turkey via the @newstalkfm app #ntfm

 

[Cecilie1200]

You're really only a few days away from having to figure out how the hell are you going to cook that turkey? On top of that, which turkey are you going to pick? And how are you going to cook it safely?


Everything you need to know about your Christmas turkey via the @newstalkfm app #ntfm

I cook my turkey the same way every time. Fast, easy, and produces a tasty, gorgeous bird. The secret is to roast it breast-side down for the first hour, and then flip it and baste as usual until the meat thermometer in the thigh indicates that it's cooked through.

Oh, and wrap the wings in tin foil.

 

[Ringel05]

We do ham or roast beast, neither the wife or I are big turkey eaters.