Turkey at Christmas, is that something that has recently come over from America? No, they say at heritage house in Eindhoven. The animal has been on the menu here at Christmas for five hundred years.
The oldest turkey bones consumed by humans ever excavated in Belgium and the Netherlands have been found in Helmond, Eindhoven and Breda. This is according to archaeozoologist Theo de Jong from Erfgoedhuis (heritage house) who knows everything about animals in antiquity. According to him, archaeological excavations have even revealed turkey recipes that were popular in this region.
The bones have been found at sites of old castles. On Vestdijk in Eindhoven there used to be a castle where small turkey bones are discovered. Also age old recipes engraved on glass have been found. In the beginning of the 16th century turkey was so expensive that only the rich could afford this delicacy. The bird originally came from India, brought here through trade by boats and wasn’t easy to breed in a colder climate. This made this fowl a specialty in those days.
So how came the turkey to be a dish for Christmas? It is an animal that eats a lot of grain and during the winter months farmers in Europe didn’t have that much of grain for them. Because of that to eat it in winter was a solution.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
