46 million. That’s the number of turkeys that’ll be served up to American families this Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November.
And with that many turkeys on dining room tables all across the country, it’s only natural that for some people, things will go wrong. After all, it’s an unforgiving bird - large and unwieldy, tough and dry when cooked too long, but - like any poultry - unsafe to eat when undercooked.
Founded in 1981, the Talk Line is a one-stop shop for all things turkey-related. It opens each year on November 1 and closes on Christmas Eve, with turkey experts (all graduates of something called Butterball University) on the line to field turkey questions like “How do I carve my bird?”, “What kind of stuffing is best?” and the most common (throughout the hotline’s 30-plus year history), “How do I thaw my frozen turkey?”
“Can I microwave a turkey?” (yes), “Can I thaw my turkey in the bath?” (no).
On Thanksgiving Day alone, Butterball estimates that the hotline will receive 10,000 calls. On that day, experts work round-the-clock (ironically, eating soup to fend off hoarse voices, not turkey like pretty much everyone else in America that day). Though many of the questions have remained the same over the years, the hotline does receive some unusual requests. To wit: “Can I microwave a turkey?” (yes), “Can I thaw my turkey in the bath?” (no) and “Can I deep-fry my turkey?” (this is America, you can deep-fry anything!).
The most common question in the hotline’s 30-plus year history, “How do I thaw my frozen turkey?”.
Since its inception in 1981 - when the Talk Line was staffed by just six women who answered 11,000 calls that year - the Talk Line has changed considerably. In 2013, the first male experts joined the ranks of Butterball University, to reflect the fact that more men were cooking. There are now Spanish-speaking experts, too. And of course, the Talk Line is no longer simply a Talk Line. Last year marked the first year you could text a question in (and yes, a human answers it, not a bot), and you can also email and live chat with experts.
The Talk Line has become larger than life over the years, with a memorable appearance on The West Wing (President Bartlet wishes there was a free hotline where you could get expert advice about how to cook your turkey to perfection; Charlie explains this already exists, President Barlet calls immediately to talk through his stuffing situation) and a mention on Modern Family.
And this year, Butterball plans to take turkey global, with a petition to Apple for a turkey emoji. Sounds delicious to us.
