I have had several people ask me if I saw turkeys in Turkey. Do they not know that turkeys do not come from Turkey?

The bird we know as a turkey here in the U.S. is actually native to America. But, how did it get the name turkey? Is it just a coincidence? Hold on, I will give the answer as we progress through the post.

While we were in the Cappadocia area we went to visit the fairy chimneys. Here is one of my artistic shots where I am trying to get a picture of flowers with the chimneys in the background. I think it turned out pretty good.

You can see more about the Cappadocia area by clicking on: Cappadocian Chimneys

While we were wandering among the rock formations, we ran across ……

… turkeys. I am really not sure why they had turkeys wandering around at the site. Especially as they are not native to Turkey.

Why they are called turkeys is an interesting story. In the 1500’s the Helmeted Guinea Fowl from Madagascar started to appear on dinner tables in Europe. The birds were exported through Turkey and the English thought of them as turkeys.

When the Spanish started exploring America they came across what we know as the turkey. The American bird tasted like turkey, only better, and was also soon being imported into Europe.

By the early 1600’s turkey had become a common meal in England. When the pilgrims came to Plymouth they tasted this delicious bird and knew it as turkey.

So, yes I did see turkeys in Turkey. Just not native ones 🙂

Steven

For more pictures of turkeys see: Turkey Time II and Turkey Month