So Many Americans Love This Famous East Texas Thanksgiving Turkey

It's definitely a cultural thing. If you grew up eating smoked turkey for the holidays, you'll likely have a built-in nostalgia for it. On the other hand, if you're not accustomed to eating smoked turkey or smoked anything for that matter, the beloved smoky flavor might be a tad overwhelming.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, thousands of Texans and Americans alike order their holiday bird smoked from Greenberg Smoked Turkey in Tyler, TX. And every year, thousands more are confused as to why they do it.

Greenberg Smoked Turkeys for Thanksgiving

"I absolutely love Greenberg turkey. Grew up eating them. I can’t wait to have one next week. They do make the best turkey sandwiches with some miracle whip. Yummy!" —  Lana Eltife

And it's not just Texans who love them; the 80-year-old Tyler-based company may have started here in East Texas, but they got a big bump in popularity after Oprah added their turkeys to her Favorite Things List.

Here's what Oprah had to say about it, "This turkey from Greenberg Smoked Turkey Inc. has been prepared in an old-fashioned brick smokehouse using only hickory wood, so all you have to do is slice and enjoy. No wonder it’s one of my all-time Favorite Things."

While it's hard to argue with Oprah, there are a few Texans who are up to the task.

Samantha Renee wrote that her "old employer gave every employee one for Thanksgiving, I gave ours away every year. I think they’re awful." But she was diplomatic about it, pointing out that" But I’m not going to rant about having different tastes than someone else."

Going through the comments, it appears that folks are either 100% pro-smoked turkey or 100% anti-smoked turkey. There's no in between. Turns out you either really love these birds or absolutely despise them. But, I don't think the good people at Greenberg are too worried; they know that there are enough folks who can't imagine Thanksgiving or Christmas without them to keep the business thriving.