Quail

Quail - the small birdie belonging to Fazanov' family, Kuropatkov' subfamily, group Kuroobraznykh.

Distinguish ten species of quails, two of which are completely exterminated by the person. Treat them:

• Quail ordinary;
• Mute quail;
• Australian quail;
• Chernogrudy quail;
• Quail harlequin;
• Painted quail;
• Coturnix ypsilophora;
• Coturnixadansonii;
• The New Zealand quail (the disappeared look);
• Coturnixgomerae (the disappeared look).

The species of a quail which is most often found in the nature and a household - a quail ordinary or Coturnix coturnix. Length of his body reaches 20 cm, weight - about 145 grams. Plumage of a bird of gray and ocherous color, spin, head top, a nadkhvostya - in light-brown spots and cross strips. Difference of a female from a male consists in more pale color of a throat and chin.

The ordinary quail lives in Africa, the Western Asia, Europe, Russia (in the east from Baikal). The bird in Southern Europe and Transcaucasia winters, the main mass of birds reach India, Africa and Arabia.

The quail both in a household, and on poultry farms gets divorced, being considered as an unpretentious and high-performance bird.

Useful properties of a quail

Meat of quails is the most valuable dietary product. In Russia quail meat was considered as a delicacy and was called "imperial food" not only because of the tenderness and juiciness, but also thanks to high nutritious qualities.

Meat of quails is rich with amino acids and vitamins of group B, phosphorus, digestible protein, copper, potassium and other mineral substances. The use of quail meat in food by the people having pulmonary diseases, a liver, a musculoskeletal system, digestive and cardiovascular systems is especially urgent. Thanks to the balanced structure, meat of quails is recommended to be included in dietary food: it practically does not contain cholesterol, is perfectly acquired by an organism and recovers a metabolism.

Let's list advantages of quail meat:

• The potassium which is its part has hypotensive and arhythmic effect on an organism, is responsible for work of a brain;
• RR vitamin promotes improvement of microblood circulation in vessels, being excellent means for prevention of gout;
• Meat of quails, in comparison with chicken, contains many times more vitamin D, B1, B2, performing prevention of rickets;
• The regular use of quail meat promotes strengthening of bone system, increase in volumes of muscle bulk, and also increase in the general tone of an organism.

Nutrition value of meat of quails

Caloric content of meat of quails makes 134 kcal / 100 gram. Energy value:

• Proteins - 21,76 g;
• Fats - 4,53 g;
• Carbohydrates - 0 g.

Are a part of quail meat: RR vitamin (8,2 mg), vitamin C (7,2 mg), B12 vitamin (0,47 mkg), B9 vitamin (7 mkg), B6 vitamin (0,53 mg), B5 vitamin (0,787 mg), B2 vitamin (0,285 mg), mg B1(0,283 vitamin), vitamin A (17 mkg), and also selenium (17,4 mg), manganese (0,019 mg), copper (594 mkg), zinc (2,7 g), iron (4,51 mg), phosphorus (307 mg), potassium (237 mg), sodium (51 mg), magnesium (25 g), calcium (13 mg).

Preparation of quail meat

Ready meat of quails in the frozen state is offered to the consumer from counters of shops and supermarkets. If you were lucky to become the owner of a carcass of just killed bird, before preparation the game needs to be processed correctly.

At a carcass of a quail the neck, pads and tips of wings which are not bearing themselves any nutritional value, but suitable for preparation of dietary broths are cut off. After that the game is scalded by the boiling water and plucked. After browsing on carcasses there are thin filamentous feathers which clean up by means of a gas torch.

Further from a carcass of a quail it is necessary to take internals. The processed game carefully is washed out under warm flowing water and is located in pergament or cellophane packages. The quail in packed form contains in the refrigerator about 2 days, longer storage has to happen only in the freezer.

Each country has the most favourite way of preparation of quails. In Europe like to serve quails, fried on a grill with vegetable or fruit garnishes. French prefer to stuff a bird with various stuffings, and refined of which mushrooms and a citrus are considered the juiciest.

Inhabitants of the Western Asia cook fragrant pilaf from quail meat, Greeks serve quails to the companies with fresh greens and olives. In Italy from meat of quails prefer to prepare such traditional dishes as soups and sauces on the basis of dense broths.

Contraindications

Individual intolerance of quail meat.