As of 2015, which of the following countries consumed the most turkey (per capita) in the world?

Many Americans love their traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinners, but, surprisingly, the U.S. isn’t the country that consumes the most turkey. That honor goes to Israel, where in 2015 the average citizen consumed 28.7 lbs (11.5 kg) of turkey. The citizens of Hungary came in second, eating a little over 19.8 lbs (8.9 kg) per person, while Americans, on average, ate roughly 16.6 lbs (7.5 kg) each.

One reason turkey is popular in Israel, is because the country’s hot climate makes it hard to raise and preserve red meat. Turkey pastrami does not require refrigeration. Also, raising turkeys takes less time and space than raising cattle, which means the meat is less expensive. Turkey has become a staple in Israeli cuisine, and can be found in regional dishes like shawarma, a popular street food. In Israel, shawarma is often made with roasted dark meat turkey, which is sliced thin then garnished with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. It is generally served with tahini sauce, rather than yogurt sauce, as the latter would violate the Jewish dietary restriction of not eating milk and meat products together.

The U.S. is still one of the top turkey producers in the world, exporting over 10% of all turkey to foreign countries, with the biggest concentration going to Mexico.

Rounding out the top five turkey-consuming countries in the world in 2015 were Ireland at 13.9 lbs (6.3 kg) per person that year, and France, where the citizens ate an average of 12.6 lbs (5.7 kg) each.