Turkey Day 101: How Well Do You Know Your Bird?

QUIZ: Turkey Day 101: How Well Do You Know Your Bird?

Let's talk turkey. Test your turkey knowledge and perhaps pick up a bit of trivia to trot out at your holiday meal.

Posted 24 Nov 2009

What do you call the bright red thing that hangs under a turkey's chin?

1. A snood
2. A wattle
3. A beard

A wattle is the loose skin that hangs below a turkey's beak. A snood is also red, but it starts at the base of the turkey's beak and hangs over the top.

The dark meat of the turkey is healthier than the light meat.

1. True
2. False

The dark meat has 212 calories and 8.2 grams of fat, while the light meat has 178 calories and 3.7 grams of fat. A 15-pound turkey typically has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

All turkeys gobble.

1. True
2. False

Only tom (male) turkeys gobble. Hen (female) turkeys make a clicking noise.

Wild turkeys are speedy birds. They can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour and run as fast as 20 miles per hour.

1. True
2. False

While domesticated turkeys can't fly, wild turkeys can sustain fast speeds for short distances.

Turkey meat is hormone free.

1. True
2. False

No hormones have been approved for use on turkeys so all turkey meat sold is hormone-free.

If you want leftovers, how much turkey should you buy per person?

1. A pound and a half per person
2. A pound per person
3. Two pounds per person

Buy a pound and a half per person and you should have enough meat left over for plenty of turkey sandwiches, soups and salads.

In order to make sure your turkey is cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thigh until it measures what temperature?

1. 325 degrees
2. 180 degrees
3. 60 degrees

Even if the meat is slightly pink, if the temperature reads 180 degrees, your turkey is cooked.

Thawing a turkey can take days depending on the size of the bird and the thawing method used. Once thawed a turkey can stay fresh in the fridge for how long?

1. A day
2. A week
3. 4 days

Don't keep a thawed turkey in the fridge longer than four days before cooking. Butterball recommends thawing the frozen meat on a tray in the refrigerator or in cold water with the breast side facing down.

It's important to not leave your cooked turkey sitting at room temperature for too long. A turkey can sit out for how long safely?

1. 30 minutes
2. 2 hours
3. 6 hours

After two hours, be sure to put your cooked turkey in the fridge. It's best to put the meat away as soon as the meal is finished.

Who suggested the turkey become the official bird of the United States?

1. George Washington
2. Benjamin Franklin
3. Frank Perdue

Benjamin Franklin was reportedly dismayed that the bald eagle won out over the turkey. According to the National Turkey Federation, Franklin wrote to his daughter, claiming that the eagle had a "bad moral character." He said, "The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America."

Your score:

• What a turkey! You didn't answer any questions correctly.
• You got 1 answer correct out of 10, you need to go to Butterball University.
• You got 2 answers correct out of 10, time to brush up on your turkey facts.
• You got 3 answers correct out of 10, you need more stuffing.
• You got 4 answers correct out of 10. Maybe the carbs haven't worn off.
• You got 5 answers correct out of 10. Maybe the tryptophan hasn't worn off.
• Gobble, gobble. You got 6 answers correct out of 10.
• You got 7 answers correct out of 10. You're practically a Thanksgiving expert.
• You got 8 answers correct out of 10. Treat yourself to another helping of pumpkin pie.
• You're no turkey! You got 9 answers correct out of 10.
• You answered all questions correctly. Maybe you should get a job at the Butterball hot line.