Is Turkey really traditional!

[anonymous-user]

How long has Turkey been regarded as the traditional choice? Im sure we brits have been eating Christmas feasts a lot longer than Turkey has been around! (its a Yank bird) Is it a because of its size/cost/supermarkets that it has become so popular! I always thought that Goose, Venison, Boar, Swan etc. was always a more traditional choice, though I know we cant eat swans in the uk anymore (though other countries do) What oes anyone else think the true traditional centre piece of a Christmas dinner should be?

[Tanguero]

Proper English traditional fowl is a roast goose.

[anonymous-user]

Tanguero said:

Proper English traditional fowl is a roast goose.

Ive spoken to so many people who seam to think Turkey is a native bird!

[nonplussed]

Well parts of it is muslim and pretty rural, so I'd guess yes.

[Tanguero]

Turkey is Mexican in origin and was first brought to the UK (Bristol to be precise) in 1562 by one William Strickland.

Boar was the traditiona Christmas roast here, but when it started getting scarce goose took over untill Mr Stricklan introduced a dry, tasteless (but cheap) interloper...

[anonymous-user]

Tanguero said:

Turkey is Mexican in origin and was first brought to the UK (Bristol to be precise) in 1562 by one William Strickland.

Boar was the traditiona Christmas roast here, but when it started getting scarce goose took over untill Mr Stricklan introduced a dry, tasteless (but cheap) interloper...

Wish I could serve a nice Bustard, Crane or Swan this Christmas!

[schmalex]

Tanguero said:

Proper English traditional fowl is a roast goose.

We reared our own geese (Graham, Greta, Gordon, George and Grace) from chicks this year. Our local game keeper, Andy, put them out of their misery a couple of weeks ago & we then sold Graham, Greta and Grace to friends.

Gordon will be the centre piece of our Christmas table. He is a shade over 10lbs, so will be ample of 6 of of us.

I'm really looking forward to eating him, because:

• I much prefer the taste of Goose to Turkey.
• It will be the first animal I have ever eaten where I know exactly what kind of life it had & what it ate from being 3 days old to the day it died (quite a sobering thought, really).
• He & his chums spent 9 months turning my paddock into the modern day equivalent of the Somme.

In all seriousness, I am going to pull all the stops out & make a meal that Gordon will be proud of being the center-piece of.

Edited by schmalex on Saturday 19th December 20:48

[leothetiler]

It was on tv last night that although turkeys had been introduced to the UK earlier, it was Victoria and Albert that established it as Christmas tradition.

[Tanguero]

schmalex said:

Tanguero said:

Proper English traditional fowl is a roast goose.

We reared our own geese (Graham, Greta, Gordon, George and Grace) from chicks this year. Our local game keeper, Andy, put them out of their misery a couple of weeks ago & we then sold Graham, Greta and Grace to friends.

Gordon will be the centre piece of our Christmas table. He is a shade over 10lbs, so will be ample of 6 of of us.

I'm really looking forward to eating him, because:

• I much prefer the taste of Goose to Turkey.
• It will be the first animal I have ever eaten where I know exactly what kind of life it had & what it ate from being 3 days old to the day it died (quite a sobering thought, really).
• He & his chums spent 9 months turning my paddock into the modern day equivalent of the Somme.

In all seriousness, I am going to pull all the stops out & make a meal that Gordon will be proud of being the center-piece of.

Edited by schmalex on Saturday 19th December 20:48

A good life, a swift pain free death and to be honoured after death and remembered with pleasure.

What more could any of us want?

Edited by Tanguero on Saturday 19th December 23:38

[redtwin]

Vegetarian owners?

[mybrainhurts]

Don't know why, but I feel safer in Greece...

[Ed]

It was Queen Vic that made it a Christmas tradition so over a century old.

[davidspooner]

Perhaps try human?