Let’s Talk Turkey.
 

In honor of Thanksgiving Day, which is an annual American holiday unique to the United States and is being celebrated today, I am devoting a thread that discusses anything that has to do with turkey. I look forward to reading about different observations and comments that have to do with turkey: where to find the best turkey, with what to stuff a turkey, how a turkey is prepared, recipes for preparing turkey, the best restaurant to eat a turkey dinner, educating those who have never eaten a turkey, etc.

My favorite part of the turkey is the white breast meat that was covered by the skin, which should be slightly crispy and flavorful.

However, it has been brought to my attention that people outside of the United States typically do not eat turkey. Attempting to recall to the best of my ability my travels to other countries on six continents, I do not remember ever seeing turkey on a restaurant menu in Japan, Malta, Uruguay, Senegal, Panama, Australia, Mexico or Cyprus, for example. In fact, I do not remember personally seeing any vestige of turkey at all in any country other than the United States!

My first contributions to this thread are these questions: does anyone outside of the United States eat turkey? If so, how? Are there any restaurants outside of the United States that have turkey officially on the restaurant menu? If so, where, and how is it served?

I would not be surprised if I couldn't find a plate of turkey in Turkey, but I would be disappointed. I have eaten turkey noodle soup in Jamaica. It was pretty much the standard except spicier. And I had to wait forever for it. I got very tired of hearing: No, worries, mon. Soon come. Soon come.

I have had turkey in mole sauce in Mexico, and you can get little turkey roasts in the supermarket in France. I know I've seen in Germany, too, but maybe not in a restaurant. How often do you see turkey on a restaurant menu in the US?

It's quite common in my parts because of the diners. I think if you go to more of the homestyle, American cookin' restaurants that serve comfort food that you will find it is served pretty often.

I have seen it somewhere where it surprised me but I don't recall where. Maybe on one of the lunch platters while I was working in Ecuador.

Sounds suspicious. Did anyone in the place say they saw a back door open and a very reluctant turkey being led inside? A sound that seemed like "Gobble, gobble, unhand me?" and then the muffled sounds of a fight?
:p

The "today" part notwithstanding, I am rather surprised to see no Canadian responses. ;)

Roast turkey is not uncommon on UK restaurant menus IME.

According to this site, turkeys originated in Mexico.

"About 1530, a new dish began to be put on English tables, a fowl a little larger than the traditional goose, but with a lot more meat and a refreshingly new taste. This bird had been brought to England by merchants trading out of that area of the eastern Mediterranean called the Levant but whom the English called “Turkey merchants” because that whole area was then part of the Turkish empire. The new bird was therefore called a “Turkey bird”, or “Turkey coxk”. Within a few years it had become a favourite and familiar domestic fowl, to the extent that, sixty years later, Shakespeare knew his groundlings would understand the reference to the turkey’s aggression display of blowing out its breast and strutting when he described the posturings of Malvolio in Twelfth Night:

SIR TOBY BELCH: Here’s an overwheening rogue!
FABIAN: O, peace! Contemplation makes a rare turkey-coxk of him; how he jets under his advanced plumes!

The interesting thing about the mistake over the turkey’s origins is that the English were the only people to believe they came from Turkey; nearly everyone else, including the Turks, thought they originated in India, or at least in the place they then thought was India. Turkeys actually came from Mexico and were first brought back from there about 1520, at a time when that area was called The Spanish Indies or the New Indies, illustrating the confusion in people’s minds about the true location of this new land that Columbus had found. As a result, a lot of European languages, as well as others like Arabic and Hebrew, called it something like the “bird of India”."

T-giving aside, I don't ever recall seeing Turkey on a US menu.

Turkey is a mainstay on deli menus here in New York, and diners offer one of my favorite things: open faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, both slathered with gravy...mmm...

Canarsie, you should know these things well....given your roots in the same neighborhood that I come from.... ^ :D

I was just thinking this also. It's rare to find turkey on a US menu except around the holidays. And it's even rarer to find rare turkey on the menu. :)
You see turkey on the occasional menu but it's more the exception than the rule. And I can't think of any fast food restaurants that feature turkey in any manner. A lot of chicken but no turkeys.
I haven't seen it overseas much if at all. But then again I try to eat the native food when traveling international and I don't think turkey is a staple item in too many countries. And I'm not sure why.
There used to be a restaurant down the street from my house in Nashua, NH called the Green Ridge Turkey Farm. They raised their own turkeys and served turkey in dozens of dishes 365 days a year. The place was quite popular year around.
Last time I was in Nashua I looked for it but saw that it had been torn down and a Barnes and Noble was standing in it's place. :(

Cholula,

You must not patronize Boston Market. They feature turkey prominently in their menu. I love to order a platter of Turkey breast smothered in gravy with creamed spinach and garlic red potatoes on the side.

I also recall a restaurant on the Cape, Hyannis maybe, called Fred's Turkey House that served the bird 365 days a year. Haven't been there in 20+ years so it may have been coverted to seafood by now.

Turkey meat is commonly served in Germany, referred to as "Puten" as I recall. Also often used in Hungary. But, and this is a significant but...

Rarely is it served roasted "American-style." Usually served in a soup, as cutlets, or an equivalent to stir-fried. reason for this is typical cooking methods. The huge American oven is just not that common outside of NA.

I have European friends that are curious to try a roast turkey. Myself, I think a properly brined turkey is about the best thing going.

BTW - Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada. Different day (Oct 1?), and not as big a deal, but similar.

I forgot about those guys but the stores around our area have pretty much been boarded up for several years. Plus as I think of it, there was another chain out here that specialized in turkey called Koo Koo Roo's and they've closed up most of their units too.
Maybe that says something about the popularity of turkey in CA. ;)

I don't have any locally, either. I do visit them when I'm in the Northeast, though.

Another thought. Ruby Tuesday's latest menu incarnation is heavy in the burger department. I noticed that turkey burger is one of 3 burger meat options. But I don't think ground turkey qualifies in the context of Canarsie's original post.