Turkey Day
Adam Schwartzman ·
Nov 24, 2011 at 5:26pm
Fun fact: Europeans didn't eat turkey until Hernan Cortez' 1519 expedition to Mexico, as the bird is (of course) indigenous to North America.
In fact, the English word "turkey" actually comes from the misconception that the birds originated in the Turkish Empire. As it turns out, the Turkish word is also founded on misinformation, as they call it a "hindi."
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Turkey Day
Interesting.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the potato, another New World discovery, became the signature meal of Ireland.
Dec '10
Re: Turkey Day
A very interesting fun fact. One that will now be solidified in my memory as I nearly shot a wild specimen recently, having flushed it from it's roost a few feet away while hunting a corn field in pursuit of pheasants. It's a big bird and it's escape gave me such a fright I nearly soured my britches, and gladly left it in peace.
May '10
Re: Turkey Day
Aaron: and Italy with tomatoes.
May '10
Re: Turkey Day
I had no idea. Thanks.
Of course, as any Cajun will tell you, having the right ingredients is less important than knowing what to do with them.
Apr '11
Re: Turkey Day
In England, "turkey" in the 1540s referred to guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), imported from Madagascar via Turkey, by Near East traders known as "turkey merchants". "Turkey" cock" and "turkey hen" were later applied to the imported, larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo), which was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523), and then brought to wider Europe, by way of North Africa.
Feb '11
Re: Turkey Day
Aaron Miller: Interesting.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the potato, another New World discovery, became the signature meal of Ireland. · Nov 24 at 9:42pm
Someone I follow on Twitter had a link to a lengthy item on the importance of the potato to Europe. (Maybe Instapundit?) This was five-six months ago.
Feb '11
Re: Turkey Day
In Hebrew the word for turkey is the same as the word for India. And with a change in the accented syllable, it's the word for thanks.
When my kids were young I used to make a Thanksgiving dinner (here in Israel) on the adjacent Friday night. I would tell them the story and conclude with:
Apr '11
Re: Turkey Day
In Turkey, they thought the bird came from India and called them hindi.
Jan '11
Re: Turkey Day
The Icelandic word for turkey is "kalkúnn" which is derived from the Indian city of Calcutta, as people thought they came from there. Not that I imagine that Icelanders ate a lot of turkey back in the day.