White Meat or Dark?

It’s almost Thanksgiving. Which do you prefer – white meat or dark? Why is some turkey meat dark meat and some white meat?

Turkey breast is white meat. It is lighter in color, quicker to cook, and dries out more easily than dark meat. Turkey legs and wings are dark meat. They are darker in color, take longer to cook, and are less likely to dry out. But what makes dark meat dark and white meat white?

Dark meat contains muscle fibers known as slow twitch fibers. They are specialized for extended exercise. White meat is made of muscle fibers known as fast twitch fibers. They are designed for short intense bursts of energy.

Most of the time, turkeys use their legs for locomotion, flying only occasionally. Their legs, therefore, are used for extended exercise and are dark meat with slow twitch fibers. Their breast meat, used to fly, is used only once in a while which is why it is white meat with fast twitch fibers.

Most Americans prefer white meat, so scientists use selective breeding to ensure that their turkeys have a lot of white meat. Only turkeys with large breasts are allowed to breed. Large breasted turkeys are more likely to pass on the desired genetic trait and to have large breasted baby turkeys. The baby turkeys are fed a diet that promotes growth of breast muscle so that farmers can sell them at Thanksgiving.

First turkey Photo by 🇨🇭 Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash.

Second turkey Photo by Meelika Marzzarella on Unsplash