Turkey Moment

This should have been before Thanksgiving, but hey,who's keeping track?

Did you ever wonder what causes the color difference between dark and light meat in turkeys and chickens?

Well, here's what I learned from the Tip Sheet in Newsweek. The darker meat comes from a deeply tinted, oxygen-storing protein called myoglobin in the bird's muscles. Since the chikens and turkeys rely on their legs and thigh muscles to walk and run around, more oxygen is needed in those parts of the body than in the parts where there isn't as much activity, like the wings and breast. Hence, more myoglobin is stored there, giving those sections a darker color.

Now you can be the most enlightened guest or family member at your next turkey dinner.