[Sca-cooks] Game for Your Feast

[Terry Decker]

> Renaissance at least, since it is a New World bird. However, there is/was 
> a large European bird known as a bussard, note the "ss" not "zz". that was 
> eaten. It wasn't the American scavenger bird with the 'zz's.  This is one 
> reason that the turkey was accepted fairly quickly since it was replacing 
> something that the Europeans were already familiar with.
>
> I think it is reasonable to serve a modern turkey if you cook it as they 
> would have a bussard or other large bird. Some, swan?, might taste a bit 
> different to do this for, though. But that may principally be the 
> difference between a water fowl and a land bird.
>
> Stefan

Stefan, bussards are raptors.  The word comes from the Middle English busard 
and modernly is spelled buzzard.  To my knowledge, they aren't particularly 
taasty.  I believe the bird of which you are thinking is the Great Bustard 
(Otis tarda) which is found in Europe and weighs over 20 kg (44 lbs).

Bear