I realized something while searching through my massive archive of airline meal photos today.
I’ve had steak, chicken, lamb, pork, fish, lobster, crab, octopus, and even reindeer as a main course on an airplane. But very, very rarely have I had turkey.
So for this special Meal of the Week edition, I take a look at the closest thing possible…a meal from Turkey on Turkish Airlines that included turkey.
We draw back the clock to 2011 for this meal on an overnight flight from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan to Istanbul.
I’ve never actually written much about my experience in Iraq, but on this Thanksgiving weekend the thing that struck me was how much thanksgiving the Iraqi Kurds expressed to me, just for being American.
“Thank you for liberating us!” was the common cry. As if it was me…
The war is so much more complex than that, but in every war there are victors and losers.
Anyway, Turkish Airlines typically offers a breakfast on overnight short- and mid-haul flights. Flights out of Iraq are double-catered in Istanbul.
All service was on a single tray and included a delicious cheese course with cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes (a fitting Turkish breakfast), a cheese omelet with cooked mushrooms, vanilla yogurt, freshly-cut fruit, and finally…sliced turkey.
It was a delicious meal…I still remember it clearly many years later.
And to date, it is one of the only flights that I’ve ever had even a side of turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Klint, you eat Pork? Not Kosher!
Matt, this is a little late… people are already putting up their Christmas
lights.
I look forward to your further vociferous advocacy for Jetblue’s Turkey Havarti sandwich. The Hearty Havarti!
Now that I think about it, an airline meal with turkey, stuffing, mashed/gravy, and some veg would beat most airline meals.
I think on Thanksgiving Day, it would be appropriate.
I hope to have goose on Luthasna next month.
The headline is a bit mislesding…
The Iraqi people detested the US invasion and brutal occupation. Rightly so, for obvious reasons.
Of course the Iraq War was a huge mistake and a bloody stain on the USA, but it’s not that simple…the Iraqi Kurds were very much in favor of the invasion. I spoke to many myself.