Northern Quail
Kenny’s newest critters are Northern Quail, he decided to try his hand at raising them and selling their eggs. We have a few Vietnamese families that are our customers and they purchased quail eggs from a vendor at the market last year. That vendor stopped handling quail so that left our customers without an outlet for eggs, thus Kenny’s idea for raising quail. He enjoys caring for them and our customers are happy that they can now get fresh quail eggs whenever they desire them. Lucky for everyone the quail are happy and healthy and providing plenty of eggs. We will have them available at the New Albany Farmer’s Market this year. Here is some information about quail and their nutritional egg value.
Quail is a species of small game bird that belongs to the Phasianidae family, which includes the partridge, pheasant and common chicken. Although quail have always been hunted as a survival food, various 20th century French chefs made the birds popular as a culinary specialty. Eventually, quail eggs also become accepted as a gourmet delicacy in many cultures, as well as common street fare. Although the eggs are typically smaller than what you’re probably accustomed to seeing on your breakfast plate, quail-egg nutrition is similar to that of the chicken egg.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a serving of one quail egg weighing approximately 9 g provides nearly 1.2 g of protein but only 14 calories, with virtually no carbohydrates or sugars. One quail egg provides only 1 g of fat and 76 mg of cholesterol.
Quail eggs are just as versatile as chicken eggs and are used by nearly every culture in the world. The traditional way to serve quail eggs in French cooking is soft-boiled, along with potato “galettes,” which are sliced fingerling potatoes fried in oil until golden and seasoned with Parmesan cheese and black pepper. In Vietnam and Thailand, boiled quail eggs are available by the bag wherever beer is served. Quail eggs are prominent in Japanese cuisine as well. They are often hard-boiled and paired with fish, rice and steamed vegetables in a “bento,” the Japanese version of a boxed lunch available in railway stations and convenience stores. Quail eggs are also found in certain sushi dishes. Donna Hay, author of “Marie Claire Cooking,” offers a recipe for a salad that combines roasted Japanese pumpkin with marinated olives, feta cheese, oregano and soft-boiled quail eggs.
quail eggs
References
- “Feather Fancier”; The Japanese Quail a.k.a. Coturnix
- USDA: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- “Journal of Food Composition and Analysis”; Comparison of the Cholesterol Content of Brazilian Chicken and Quail Eggs
Tags: Quail Eggs
