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Poultry
Volaille
Appears in
Published 2010
Not to be mistaken for fowl, which refers to all edible birds, poultry is the designation used for farmyard or domesticated breeds. Although it is true that in Roman times peacocks were bred because their great external beauty was mistakenly equated with great flavor, for our purposes we will keep to birds used in modern culinary practices. While not exhaustive, this list includes chicken (including capons and Cornish game hens), duck, goose, and turkey.
Poultry figures largely in our diets as well as in our collective history. Poultry is often the centerpiece on our tables at holiday meals. For example, the Chinese New Year can be celebrated with duck stuffed with sweet rice, a roast goose may be the focal point of a table at a British Christmas dinner, and a turkey at Thanksgiving is almost an American constitutional right!