TURKEY LORE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 9

TURKEY LORE.

The Abbe Morollct, who lived in the eighteenth century, once said:—' Ihero should always lie two present when a triift'lod turkey is on the table. I , niti going lo have a truffled turkey to-iughi for dinner. There will be two thore— tho turkey ajid myself." Perhaps turkeys were smaller in those days. If nol, the abbe must have had a splendid, appetite. Tlio old rhyme runs— Turkeys, carp, hops, piccadel, and beer Came inio Enghmd all in one year. History, in so far as the turkey is concernixl, would place this year very soon after 1518, tho date of the oonqu«st of Mexico, for although Dr. Johnson s dictionary says that, the turkey is a large domesiic fowl supposed to bo brought from' Turkey, it has s' n co been conclusively proved that, it is indigenous to South America, whence the French word dinde, orginally coq or poule d Indo fan old Trench name for Mexico was Inde). Tlio great Lili.ro has a long and elaborate oassy on the word, putting lis origin beyond all doubt. It is called "turkey" because it ca.mo—to~us from Mexico' via Constantinople. - v. That .the turkey did not lake long to reach England is evident from- the faot that Shakespeare, who lived so short a time after tho discovory of Mexico,_ speaks of it at least twice ("Henry V," and "Twelfth Night"), in each case referring t-j it as "turkey-cock." The learned Dr. Salman wrote of the turkey in IG93 —' "The flesh is most excellent food and of gToat nourishment; you may concoct broth, ale, or jelly of it against consumptions, for it rostnreth strength plentifully and agrees with all dispositions." • About 150 years' later Sam Weller made tho immortal observation— "I'm pretty tough! That's vun consolation, as the. wery old - turkey remarked ven the - fanner, said he was afeerM. he should have to kill him far the London market." . ' — This reference to the London market fiuts one in mind of a sufficiently curious ittln item of turkey-loro. Jnst about a century ago a dead/turkey was of more importance than a live man. This seems ludicrous, but it was even so. There was an annual Christmas rush to supply the London market with fresh farm-fed birds, and the fast coaches from Norfolk found it paid better to refuse passengers and to load up -"inside and outside," including the boot, with turkey caroases which were even suspended from the lamp-irons. Leadenhall Market literally crowded out the Norwich passenger,, who had to travel by the slow coach, or to "wait for' the wagon," which reached town in two days. In the meantime turkeys, fat and plump for the Alderman's table, fetched two and three guineas apiece. Ono of tho more authentic gastronomic anecdotes (there are so many that arc obviously inaccurate) refers to -a certain 'Archbishop of Bordeaux, who was a "finbec" of distinction, and appreciated all tho good things of this life. _ He won a wager of a truffled turkey from ono of his ; grand vicars; who, however, did not hurry in the discharge of his obligation. I The Archbishop reminded him of it, "Monseigneur," said the vicar, "the truf-fle-crop this year has failed." "Nonsense," replied the Archbishop, "that is a Teport spread by the turkeys themselves." It.is not told whether the debt was eventually paid. - There-is. and'always has been, a touch of. comicality about, the turkey— L its' strut, its bombnst, its voice; even.' -its"local "names.' "Bubbly-jock,'' . ■ "Gobble-cock." and ."Gobbler" havo risible and m HouiTas Jerrold's "Miss Robinson C.rusne,"' which' appeared in "Punch" niany years ago,., and has jnst been reprinted, there, is a. delightful allusion to the'troubles of tv maiden lady.on a'desert island : with. a. turkey, which she attempted to pluck with tweezers. The" tu'rk»v aN-ays' seems to make for fun—involuntarily,'. ' The old bcv;sMrifeVada«rS is not entirely true,'although .the conclusion is correct— Turkev boiled Is turk=\- snojled And turkev roast I? tn"'-ev lost; Put far tifkev braised, '' ' The Lord be praised 1 1 Boiled. turkey, unless verr artfully' dono, is not very toothsome," but renlly well-roasted tnrkey is by mo mean's "lost"; it may'bo very good indeed, either with chestnuts, truffles, oysters, or. the conventional stuffing. Still,- braised turkey, braisod that is, with caro and true loving kindness, is. of course, and will .always remain, the. best of all..