The Li men jostle to sell me supper, all of it live: white-breasted waterhens, little egrets, a black-crowned night heron and a spot-billed duck, the only duck where male and female look alike.

He also perfected the soufifle—a baked egg dish, and introduced the standard chefs uniform—the same double-breasted white coat and tall white hat still worn by many chefs today.

That's when breeders began creating a larger-breasted Turkey, which eventually resulted in the Broad-Breasted White, which today makes up 99% of all turkeys grown in the United States, Anthony says.