Heritage Vs Standard Turkey: What's The Difference?

While shopping for your holiday turkey, other than standard turkeys, there are sometimes heritage or heirloom turkeys on offer. But turkeys are turkeys, so whichever will work, right? Not really! Although both will make for an awesome centerpiece to your dinner table, these birds are very much different beyond their labels. The TL;DR version is that heritage turkeys are very similar to the original wild turkeys that graced our ancestors' tables, which has earned them these rather romantic names. These birds are raised using more natural methods and are given special care and attention compared to the standard, mass-market turkeys. 

Thanks to this, you'll find in heritage turkeys a lot of unique characteristics that'll make them a more special centerpiece to your holiday dinner table than the usual fare (for a premium, of course). So, which turkey should you choose? Unfortunately, the answer isn't a simple one. The perfect turkey for you depends on several factors, including your budget and taste preferences. To make the best choice, we'll first need to take a look at each bird and see what makes them stand out.

During the first Thanksgiving in 1621, pilgrims and the Wampanoag people shared a feast that included fowl and some refreshing drinks together. Historians don't think that these fowl were turkeys, yet nevertheless, a turkey feast is now a tradition every Thanksgiving. But here's something fascinating: Wild turkeys were a part of the early settlers' diet. And even more interesting, you can actually experience a taste similar to what those early Americans enjoyed by trying a heritage turkey.

What makes heritage turkeys so special is that they're raised so that they'd be able to live out their lives pretty much like wild birds. On open pastures, they're allowed to forage freely and stretch their legs. This more active lifestyle leads to firmer meat with a rich, wild-game-like flavor. Besides a more natural growing environment, heritage turkey growers are very careful about preserving the breeds. All the popular heritage breeds today, such as Narragansett, Bourbon Red, and Black Bronze, have been carefully bred over centuries and are never hybridized to maintain their wild turkey roots.

As expected, heritage turkeys are a lot more difficult and effort-intensive to rear. They take a lot of time to mature, needing anywhere between 26 and 28 weeks to get to market weight. While these turkeys tend to be smaller in size (which can make them great for smoking), their specialty nature comes at a premium. How premium? Well, depending on the breed and farm, it could go up to $17 a pound!

The modern turkeys are very different from what our ancestors knew. People wanted as much white meat for as cheap as possible, so, in the mid-20th century, turkey breeds now known as production turkeys were bred. Using selective breeding, farmers created birds that grow faster and have more edible meat than traditional breeds. This is the type you'll find in every and all grocery stores today.

As much as a quarter of a turkey's weight is concentrated in the breast, so a handy trick to tell a production from a heritage breed is to look for the keyword "broad-breasted" in the name (Broad-Breasted Giant White and Broad-Breasted Bronze are two very common production breeds). These birds are raised in controlled indoor environments with specialized feed to promote rapid growth, reaching an impressive 32 pounds on average in just 14 to 18 weeks. What you get is moist turkey meat with a mild, crowd-pleasing flavor for an affordable price point of just $1 to $2 per pound.

Both standard and heritage turkeys make great holiday dinners – it's really about what works best for you. Standard turkeys have been the popular choice for years. Affordable and reliable, they're great if you wish to enjoy the holiday on a budget or when you're feeding a big group. But if you don't mind spending a bit more and you'd like a tastier turkey with a cool story to go with it? A heritage turkey's definitely worth splurging on! There's a reason heritage birds are ruling the roost. And while you're at it, here's the absolute best wine to pair with roasted turkey.