Here on the islands of Yap, and all over Micronesia for that matter, there is a certain delicacy that I’m sure many of you have not been privileged to try in your lifetime. What is this delicacy? This Micronesian dining treasure…. Is it fish?... Is it some sort of fruit?... Is it the milk from the juiciest of coconuts?... No my friends… not even close… this delicacy is in fact Turkey Tail.
What is turkey tail some of you might ask? Well… to put it nicely… it is the rear end of a turkey… the turkey’s behind…. The turkey booty… yes, turkey tail is what’s for dinner here in Yap. I’m pretty sure in most places it’s sold as dog food. To describe it.. turkey tail is mostly fat, tendon-like stuff, and bone, with a tiny sliver of meat here and there. I can understand why they eat it… it’s super cheap, it’s protein and fat, and it’s available.. I guess for an isolated developing country such as this that is good enough reason.
Now those who know me, know that I’m definitely not a picky eater. I’ll try and enjoy just about everything, but turkey tail is one thing that I just can’t seem accept. Maybe this will change after year one, but for now… I dread turkey tail. I’ve tried it grilled, fried, barbequed, and made in a stirfry.. but nothing seems to work. I’ve only been fed it 3 times in the past 2 ½ weeks , but each time involves me coming up with smooth tactics where I try to pick off the little pieces of meat that are there, then somehow slyly figure a way to feed the rest, little by little to the dogs. I’ve even buried some in the sand as a tactic after being offered and accepting a large piece at a beach barbeque. It’s not too bad though.. definitely nothing to whine about.. I just had to share this with all of you, because it really made me laugh tonight as I was sneaking piece by piece of my entire plate to the puppies. So… if anyone has any great turkey tail recipes please let me know. I’m willing to try anything to make this better :)
On an awesome note… today I received FOUR letters. Thank you Dad, Steve, Sabina, and Mindy!!! I’m going to read them over and over and over, and each time it will make me smile.
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2 comments:
Wow. Wowwowwow. And there's officially the reason I could never be as brave as you are! It sounds like you're taking Yap by storm, bringing your ability to rock at life somewhere else fabulous. I love reading your blog, Verina, and the pictures are amazing. How's the language coming?
Thanks Laura :) Well, you're welcomed to come enjoy some turkey tail with me on my island any time for find the need to leave NJ/NY
The language is coming along...slowly but surely
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