What’s Better for Thanksgiving Dinner: Wild or Domestic Turkey?

Wild v. Domestic Turkey

It comes down to a matter of taste. Some people liken the taste and texture of wild turkey to eating shoe leather. Okay, it's me. I'm people, friend. My apologies to the conservationist community, but in 36 years of life on this planet, I have yet to taste a wild turkey I've enjoyed.

Like any food, I'm told the difference is found in how a wild turkey is prepared. Project Upland, a hunter and conservationist publication, points out wild turkey and domestic turkeys are as different as night and day when it comes to taste, texture, seasoning, and cook time.

The biggest misconception with wild turkey is that you can cook it like their obese, domestic counterparts found in grocery stores. You simply cannot.

—Jack Hennessy, Project Upland Magazine

Hennessy further elaborates that because wild turkeys are much leaner than store-bought ones, they need to be cooked slower and at a lower temperature. Even when cooked properly, a wild turkey will still have a gamey taste to it, but some claim it can be just as appetizing as one you hunted in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Pass the Domestic Turkey, Please

Hennessy's points make a strong case for feasting on a wild turkey this Thanksgiving, but I can't do it, friend.

For a holiday like Thanksgiving, there's just too much riding on the food to chance it. Let's be real, an attitude of gratitude is always a fantastic disposition to have, but food is the star on Thanksgiving. Until I taste a wild turkey that's knock-my-socks-off delicious and tender, pass the domestic turkey, please.

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