America Abandons Turkey: Why the Traditional Thanksgiving Dish is Losing Popularity.

Turkey on Thanksgiving: Why is it Still a Firm Decision?

According to Vox: It's strange that turkey has become the traditional dish on Thanksgiving, a time when Americans should appreciate everything they have in life. This bird hardly deserves such attention.

The only good thing to say about turkey is that it's not always dry. However, this compliment speaks more to the fact that the meat lacks any particular flavor, like sand. Turkey typically turns out tasteless unless it's marinated and cooked with care. To add flavor to this unimpressive bird, Americans often resort to deep frying, leading to fires in their homes.

Even more distressing is the fact that there are plenty of other, tastier meat options. Turkey makes sense if Americans were limited hunters or fishermen. But in reality, we have a wide choice: lamb, steaks, pork, and seafood such as lobsters, scallops, and shrimp.

However, it’s worth noting some positives about turkey. Its lack of flavor forces Americans to create delicious side dishes. As my mom said: the most beautiful people shouldn’t have to show resourcefulness because of their beauty. That’s why mashed potatoes and green bean casserole have unique flavors: turkey has made us inventive.

Questions About Turkey on Thanksgiving

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the importance of understanding the world around us, I decided to speak with someone who truly loves turkey. One such person is Vox political reporter and turkey enthusiast Christian Paz. He shared his love for this bird, the traditions surrounding it, and tips for cooking it to keep it juicy. Perhaps most importantly, why, among so many tastier meats, should we still eat turkey on Thanksgiving? This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Christian, tell me, why do you like turkey?

I love Thanksgiving. This day is dedicated to turkey. I’m a traditionalist. I adhere to traditions.

But I also really like this big 'bird on the table'; maybe it’s because I’ve been brainwashed.

Turkey is a tradition.

Turkey is a tradition, and traditions are good. But seriously, it’s very versatile!

What about the idea that turkey is dry—that it takes so much preparation to ensure it isn’t dry: brining, basting, roasting, etc.?

I can negate this in two ways.

Sure, go ahead.

The first way is to be blunt but a bit harsh: you simply don’t cook turkey properly.

And the second way: yes, you’re right. Turkey can turn out quite dry, and it needs to be cooked with patience and time, which can be hard when you have many guests. It requires slow cooking and resting.

Christian, fire departments in this great nation are forced to film and disseminate social media videos about the dangers of deep frying turkey. People set their homes on fire to add more flavor to this bird. Doesn’t that suggest that turkey is not the best choice?

This doesn’t happen with ham.

I won’t comment on deep-fried turkey. Frankly, I’m not a fan of it. But I have to admit, I too have burned myself cooking hams.

How do you cook your turkey?

Yes, of course.

You want me to just slather it nicely on the outside. Inside. Yes, yes, I’m here.

Not like this.

Okay, but I tried two methods that were highly rated. Funny enough, I like Alison Roman’s recipe. The other is a combination of Martha Stewart and Ina Garten’s recipes, but it requires a lot of butter.

They say Martha Stewart and Ina Garten don’t like each other. It’s a lot of work to make turkey tasty. No one pours kilograms of butter over ham.

God.

Final question: if turkey were not available on Thanksgiving, what meat would you choose instead? Lamb? Steak?

Oh, probably just roasted chicken but with Alison Roman’s stuffing. I’m actually not a fan of steak, but I love thighs and wings, as well as juicy white meat from turkey.

Sorry, I’m Catholic!

I grew up Catholic too. Should we eat more fish?

Only on Fridays. Although I like salmon.

Oh, yes, salmon: the turkey of the sea.

Thanksgiving remains an important holiday for Americans, despite the fact that traditional turkey as the main course sparks controversy. Every recipe and cooking method has its nuances, which can become a reason for frequent discussions. Traditions often keep us in familiar patterns; however, modern cooks do not shy away from experimenting with new ideas.

Thus, despite all its shortcomings, turkey continues to be an important part of American culinary tradition, provoking both love and criticism. Will this change in the future? Time will tell.