I'm slightly offended that you talk about Americans like you do. There is a stigma that the US is materialistic and wasteful and that can be true, but there are also plenty of people who are trying to change that. I know you might not be trying to offend or come off that way, but it's almost as if you put yourself above it...
Don't know if this is true or not, but it is said that Ben Franklin wanted to make this the national bird instead of the Bald Eagle.
So sad people eat them when they are so gorgeous!
Lisa if you have read this blog before, you should probably understand by now that I use sarcasm and irony in much of my writings and remarks. I am also not a stranger of being self-deprecating every once in a while. Please do not take everything i write too seriously.
In regards to the poor turkeys, I could have raised the question in any other country too as factory farming is a global concern in my opinion, though of greater proportion in the USA as of the country's huge population. Thanksgiving as a tradition is also a bigger deal right here than anywhere else. (If it wasn't clear, I did not mean that anyone should eat wild turkey's rather than the farmed ones. If you could stay away from both, that would be all the better in my humble opinion.)
You should know that I love my many American friends very much, and I love the country in various aspects too. But as much as every other country in the world has their own flaws, so has also the United States. I think though instead of being too serious about it, why not have a more relaxed outlook on things and laugh about the great irony in life.
You are right about the fact that America is materialistic and wasteful. And corrupt, self-centered and it has some weird food traditions too - if I may add. But America is also a beautiful, stimulating and inspiring country with some really great people (as well as food!) in it (which I've also often mentioned in the blog many times before).
I could certainly find both many good and many bad things about any country I've ever been to and I try to share both sides in the blog as much as I can and feel inspired to. Even my beloved home countries have plenty of flaws that are too obvious to not crack a joke about when in the right context.
We get our turkeys from an Amish Farm in MD. They are free range, very fresh, and delicious
I'm really not sure what your point is wrt Thanksgiving. Are you going to write a smug article about the British not hunting their Christmas geese? At any rate, I'm sure a lot more wild turkeys are killed and eaten in the United States each year than in Europe. Try adding up the numbers by state here: http://americanhunter.org/articles/top-states-turkey-hunting/
Wild turkey meat is mostly dark meat, and has a much stronger flavor. The chemically plumpified, hormone stuffed bird is what most seem to prefer for some reason.
Cheers,
Conall
www.conallsboatbuild.blogspot.com
Hunting is only allowed during certain times and I think not in every location. Is it allowed in your neighborhood? If so, don't forget to wear orange during hunting season. (Another weird tradition I would say.)
Wild turkeys are beautiful! We saw some HUGE ones on Cumberland Island in Georgia (if you ever get a chance to go there, DO - it's the home of Dungeness - the old Carnegie estate and full of wild horses, turkey, deer and uninhabited by humans. The turkey there were so big - they stood about 4 feet tall! Do not get too close to one, though - I was attacked by one as a child because I got too curious - talk about mean! :)
As a newer reader, I also had this impression Lisa noted that your comments were more sincere than they actually are. Thanks for the clarification.
My boyfriend is English and I'm no stranger to the foreign opinion of our policies (and very often lifestyle choices,) but he and I have both learned a lot from being together- I, that in spite of often-harsh opinions of our politics and leaders, Europeans are nonetheless open to having American friends and embracing many aspects of our culture, and Peter, that this country really is beautiful and its people are not all obese and ignorant ;-)
It is illegal to eat wild turkeys, by the way, as they are endangered!
what strange looking creatures! loving your blog as always
xx
Oh my god Lisa, calm the fuck down. You're like a passenger that flight attendants don't like. Those bitches tthat try to get up even when the seatbelt sign is on. The kind that just need to sit the fuck down and drink a coffee with some ear plugs on and shut the fuck up. Case closed.
I never heard of wild turkeys being endangered. Turkey hunting season is alive in well where I live. I'd much rather eat wild, hunted meat than anything else. Currently our meat comes from the chickens, turkeys, and goats I raise, as well as venison (deer) that we hunt each fall. I'm 100% in favor of abolition of factory farming methods....but(based on much research into the topic and personal experience)lack of meat and animal fats is a detriment to health. Western cultures definitely eat far too much meat. Once or twice a week is completely adequate for nutritional needs unless you are physically working like a plow horse every day. I think there is an aversion to death that causes many to shy away from raising their own food or hunting. Death is a natural part of all life. Acceptance of this fact and peace and strength in the face of it is worth understanding and adopting.
I take no offense from your post regarding USA. People are losing touch with reality at an alarming rate and this is true here in the west especially. Can't totally blame the individuals when our culture is conspiring against them with such good funding. There will always be people who continue to live closer to reality....that should give us hope that perhaps humans do have a chance for a better future.
Why aren't we seeing fresh lobsters crabs, clams etc. How a bout a brisk walk to the wharf and grab some fresh lobster and boil it up for us!
The definition of Sarcasm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
Massachusetts State Law on Hunting Turkeys (It's almost open season folks)
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/hunting-fishing-wildlife-watching/hunting/wild-turkey-hunting.html
I always laugh when people take issue with something somone posted on their blog. If you don't like what people are posting, don't read the blog.
If you do decide to harvest one of those funny birds in your yard, can you send us your recipe. :)
And one more thing, the sailing in Buzzards Bay was amazing yesterday 20-24 knot's sustained. I made it from Newport RI to the mouth of the canal in about an hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmYRi-3m6oA
This is great scene where they look exactly like small Raptors, which is what they are according to the latest theory.
Link to the full show in the notes, one of the best Nature videos I've ever seen.
Welcome to the land of Wild Turkey! As an FYI, these gorgeous and tasty fowl were once contenders to be our national bird, but alas, the Bald Eagle one that race.
And yes, if you can get one, they are daaaaaaamn tasty!
JB
SV Sne Metu
Didn't mean to offend anyone. My inability to decipher sarcasm has long been a shortcoming.
There was a point in time when wild turkeys were so cross-bred with domestic ones that they were considered endangered, as these weird pseudo-wild turkeys couldn't fly and were therefore not considered true members of the species. I guess this isn't the case anymore.
And I agree whole-heartedly, nothing like a deep-fried turkey for your Christmas meal!
There is a season on wild turkeys out here in California. There are limits on how many you can take, but the current numbers are sustainable. It's really weird to see a flying turkey. I saw one fly across a highway once when I was driving, and it startled me. They are a stately, dignified bird.
I understand your feelings about factory farming and the damage that it causes to the environment and to the people who consume the products. It has become mainstream in the USA, and it is difficult to avoid it and avail oneself of raw dairy, grass-fed beef, and so on. It has consequences on health as well as the flavor of our food.
Ha, the last turkey we ate was hot with a bow by my step son here in Wisconsin. Its funny because we sent him to Europe this summer on an exchange trip and the family that was hosting him saw his facebook pictures of the hunt and became concerned that they were getting a sociopath for a guest. No, it was just midwest rites of passage.
FYI the wild turkey needs to be marinated for quite a while to make it less tough and offset the gamey taste. Good though.
I think you'll like this: http://www.amazon.com/Illumination-Flatwoods-Season-Wild-Turkey/dp/1599211971