Diana -- I have made a mistake; I misread your email. Can you, or someone, give me a contact for John Trott? -- Stephan On 20 Nov 2006, at 12:12, Diana Bennett wrote: > Where did the Turkey come from? -- It is mentioned in the new book > "The > Virginia Naturalist", a compilation of essays that John Trott wrote > for the > newspapers in Loudoun-Fauquier Co area in the late 1990's. On page > 327: > > The fat turkey on the Thanksgiving table is descended from a race > of turkeys > native to Mexico. When Spanish Conquistadors landed at Vera Cruz > in 1519 > they encountered an advanced civilization. Along with Chihuahuas, the > Aztecs bred turkeys for food. They also ate each other in ritual > cannibalism, but that is another story. > > Protein from meat was rare in ancient Mexico. The > Spaniards > were appalled by cannibalism even if the dish was prepared with > chilies and > tomatoes as the Aztecs claimed. Eating dog meat, no matter how it was > prepared, did not appeal to the Europeans either. But roast turkey > was a > different matter altogether. > > Along with other delicacies from the New World such as > vanilla, > chocolate, tomatoes, chili peppers and squash, the domesticated > turkey was > taken back to Spain where it was a sensation. > > There was confusion from the start regarding the origin > of this > great bird. It was initially thought that it had originated in > Turkey. > Hence, the name we use today. I do not know what the Aztecs called it > though it probably had at least six syllables with many X's and was > unpronounceable. > > From Spain, turkeys spread to France and across the > channel to > England. The tamed and potentially juicy turkey of Mexico was > brought to > North America soon after the Plymouth colony was established in New > England. > During the many years of breeding for food, the speed, intelligence > and wary > watchfulness were erased from the turkey's behavior. Domesticated > turkeys > became fat and stupid. A few years ago it was common slang to > refer to > someone of limited intelligence and unpredictable behavior as a > 'turkey'. I > irritated a number of my young friends by preaching that 'domesticated > turkey' would be more appropriate. Our native wild turkey ". . . > is one > smart bird," I would say. Usually I was ignored. > > > > Diana Bennett > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html