[Sca-cooks] Turkeys

[Terry Decker]

The Aztecs had domesticated turkeys (M. gallopavo gallopavo AKA South 
Mexican Wild Turkey) and it was from this stock that the first turkeys were 
imported into Europe.  We don't know how widespread raising turkeys was, so 
the introduction of the turkey into Europe could have occurred from about 
1510 to 1528 (Cortez's first return to Spain).  The actual date is likely 
between 1520 and 1527, after the Spanish took over the Aztec empire.  The 
key point is the turkey was already being farmed and it was introduced as an 
animal to be farmed.

There is at least one record of a farmer being paid to raise turkeys for a 
noble table.  And there is a record of expenses for one on Catherine de 
Medici's feasts where the turkeys were priced much lower than any of the 
large wild birds (I covered this in more detail some time ago, so the 
reference may already be in the Florilegium).

At least one source has stated that the English brought domesticated turkeys 
to the New World before they encountered the Eastern Woodland Turkey (M. 
gallopavo silvestris).  I haven't traced that back to a contemporary 
reference yet.

Bear

> Intereesting. But the article is mostly about the rise of raising and 
> selling heritage turkeys. I didn't see anything about data supporting 
> turkey farming in Europe in the middle to late 1500s.
>
> We have recipes and such for turkeys in Europe and they would probably 
> have to be domesticated (grown?) there for that to be the case. But  what 
> info do you have on the farming of Turkeys in Europe? Did I miss  it in 
> the article? The Europeans had other big birds, so they knew how  to cook 
> and handle them, which is one reason they were adopted  quickly. But I've 
> seen little here on turkey farming in Europe prior  to 1600.
>
> Thanks,
>    Stefan