Turkey. The bane of my existence. For as long as I remember, turkey has been touted as the staple meal during Thanksgiving. Bland, dry turkey.
I still remember the very first time I had turkey. My predominantly white elementary school was going on a field trip to a local farm, and all the children were raving about how we would get turkey sandwiches for lunch. The excitement had gotten to me and I could not wait to eat my sandwich. Alas, as lunch finally rolled around and my sandwich bag was handed to me, a feeling of dread settled in my stomach as I opened it up and smelled my sandwich. My first bite only confirmed my apprehension and I decided right then and there that I hate turkey.
Since then, I have never fully comprehended why people eat turkey during Thanksgiving. The side dishes often outshine what is considered the main course. Cheesy mashed potatoes, candied yams, bread rolls and various pies all full of flavor and life, yet so much importance is stressed upon this sorry excuse for a bird dish. For the star of the meal, there are so many better protein options than a whole turkey.
With the assortment of side dishes typically found at the dinner table, the options are endless for a protein option that can take the centerpiece. A gorgeous cranberry roast pork, an oven-roasted chicken stuffed to the brim with breading or a beef tenderloin roast. All these options are easy to make and pair so well with the other side dishes available.
This Thanksgiving, go turkey-free. I know I will. Plans have already been made in my friend group to ditch the turkey this year and instead feast upon other marvelous dishes. A steak for each, some macaroni and cheese and hearty stew, we’ll be going to bed well-fed and happy. While it’s not a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we’ll still be rocking it in our own way. Definitely a bonus because we do not have the space nor the materials to cook a full-sized turkey in the residence halls.
Turkey has been normalized as a Thanksgiving dish for too long. Even during colonial times, there was no solid proof that this colonial settler holiday featured turkey in its celebratory feast. According to a historical account by Edward Winslow, one of the first colonizers, he noted that during their feast they had consumed “fowle,” meaning it could have been any wild bird that sat upon their table. It wasn’t until the Lincoln administration that Thanksgiving as a holiday was proposed, and it was then that turkey became linked with the holiday.
The time is now to make a change. With over 200 years of turkey being the heart of Thanksgiving, we can finally make a difference in the lives of many. Not only does cutting out turkey save the lives of many fowl, it will leave the next generation with many memories of a flavorful Thanksgiving meal.
