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Escarpment Magazine Harvest & Holiday 2013
For hundreds of years turkeys were bred mainly for the plumage but things changed around
1935 when breeders’ attention shifted from the turkeys’ looks to their meat yields. By that time turkey had caught
on as a popular food for Thanksgiving dinner. Prior to the 1930s, Thanksgiving meals often featured oysters and
duck or goose—foods that were commonly eaten in the UK, and part of a tradition that carried on in Canada.
One possible reason for turkey’s slow growth in popularity is that a farmed turkey wouldn’t have been big
enough by October to feed everyone at the table. This may go some way to explaining why turkey is a popular
Christmas food—the birds would have had sufficient time to plump up.
When turkey appeared on the Thanksgiving menu in cookbooks, turkey farmers began focusing on raising pro-
duction and shortening their schedules. Turkey hybridization began in the 1950s and specialized varieties with
more breast meat were developed. Meanwhile, cryovac and mass evisceration techniques were developed and
introduced to the turkey industry allowing for the mass production of fresh and frozen turkey.
The hybridization experiments conducted in the 50s culminated in the broad breasted white turkey, the most com-
mon variety of turkey and the one that populates the freezer section. The broad breasted white was the preferred
bird because it produced more meat and had a nicer presentation when plucked. The colourful turkeys favoured
by the Aztecs, Mayans, and Europeans had an uneven skin tone and were thought to be less attractive to con-
sumers.
The turkey industry expanded rapidly through Canada and the United States but suffered a boom-and-bust cycle
that made it difficult for farmers to plan their production. Moreover, American imports were out-competing domestic
producers in the marketplace. In the late 50s, there were 1500 turkey producers in Canada. By the early 1960s,
half of them had gone out of business.
At the time, turkey production in Canada was largely unregulated, but that still didn’t help Canadian farmers beat
out American competition. In 1962, the first ever turkey marketing board was formed in British Columbia in order to
quell the tide of American imports. While it is still possible to buy American turkey in Canada (usually as a whole,
frozen bird), provincial turkey marketing boards and the
Turkey Farmers of Canada ensure that Canadians are aware
of and have access to fresh turkey.
Last year, we consumed 142 million kilograms of turkey--that’s 4.1 kg
per person. But before anyone starts feeling ashamed for having to loosen their
belt after dinner, know that turkey is, in fact, really good for you. A lean meat, turkey
is low in sodiumand high in vitamins. Sometimes referred to as a “superfood,” turkey
is a complete protein, meaning it has all eight of the amino acids our bodies can’t
produce on their own. At Thanksgiving, 3.1 million whole turkeys were pur-
chased—35% of all whole turkeys sold in 2012.
*
Le dindon Rouge des Ardennes - (Red Ardennes Turkey)
was introduced in the XVI century, during the rule of the
Spaniards in Flanders. Probably of Mexican origin, the
Spanish conquerors and missionaries are believed to
have brought it to North America.
ESCARPMENT EPICURE
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abundant harvest
{
Gratitude makes ense of
our past, brings peace for
today, and creates a vision
for tomorrow.
~
Melody Beattie
