Tracy V. Wilson, HowStuffWorks.com
According to the University of Illinois Extension, 97 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving, and 87 percent of people in the U.K. eat turkey at Christmas. Roasting up a big bird is a treat -- it's probably fair to say that many of these noshers look forward to their meaty meals long before the holidays.
Where Turkey Comes From
Today's farm-raised, domestic turkeys are descendents of wild turkeys that thrived in Mexico and Central America. Domestic turkeys are generally bigger and heavier than wild turkeys, and they're bred to give hungry people more of their favorite cuts -- the breasts and drumsticks.
What Makes Turkey, Turkey
Turkey is one of many birds that make their way to the dinner table. Turkey is generally bigger than alternatives like chickens, quail and Cornish hens. It's also low in fat, and ounce for ounce, it's higher in protein than beef.
What Turkey Begat
Turkey meat can go into sandwiches, stews, soups, casseroles, hot dogs, burgers and a range of other foods. There's also turducken -- a combination of turkey, duck and chicken -- and faux turkey made from tofu. And, of course, there are the inevitable sides of dressing or stuffing, which vary vastly in composition and tastiness from one family recipe to another.
A Surprising Thing About Turkey
Everyone knows that turkeys go "gobble, gobble" -- but this is only half true. The distinctive gobbling sound is the hallmark of the male turkey only.
The Jetsons Talk Turkey
Future uses for turkey may have more to do with byproducts than with waste. Millions or even billions of pounds of feathers come from turkeys used for food each year -- these can make their way into yarns or fabrics. Then there's the dung, which has potential for use as a fuel.
