Illinois Thanksgiving: Is Your Turkey a Male or Female, One Bite Will Tell You

I think how we prefer our Thanksgiving bird is also a bit of commentary on how shallow society can be at times.

I'm not a gambling man but I'll bet you've never thought about the gender of your Thanksgiving turkey, or for that matter, its age.

To understand, you only need one bite.

How do you prefer your Thanksgiving turkey to taste?

We all have some pretty strong preferences on the subject of Thanksgiving feasting. As it turns out, some of things we prefer about the bird, may also point to some shallowness in the world around us and the way some perceive genders and the search for a partner.

'TOM' TURKEY

When it comes to a MALE turkey, it is the older, richer and more seasoned (sugar-daddy-like) bird that is much preferred.

The younger male bird's meat will have a more cumbersome and stringy texture. No fun at all

Some female turkeys are not interested in 'training' this 'young bird' and promptly move on.

'TINA' TURKEY

Shame on those who make the older FEMALE turkey feel so uninvited because the old bird's meat is so much tougher.

Society's love of the younger, smaller hens, is very obvious. Actions speak louder than words.

This ability to tell the age and gender of your Thanksgiving turkey is some recently acquired knowledge for me.

Thank you, Old Farmer's Almanac

Before today, I had no idea the way I liked my turkey had anything to do with age, or gender. If I'm being honest, I just assumed all the turkeys I'd eaten were males since a sack was always being removed before cooking.