Quail as food

Lore & Background

Quails were eaten in ancient times, as evidenced by the letter of Shepsi to his mother, an Egyptian letter to the dead, in which he reminded her that she asked for quails and he brought her seven. A 19th-century recipe from California for Codornices a la española (Spanish-style quail) involved stuffing quails with mushrooms, green onion, parsley, butter, lemon juice, and thyme, then brushing them with lard, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs before finishing in the oven. A savory pie could also be made with quail, salt pork, eggs, and fresh herbs.

Reader's Guide

Quail meat holds a notable place in Egyptian cuisine, as the common quail is listed among the cuisines that include it, and an ancient Egyptian letter confirms its use as food. The meat can be toxic, causing symptoms similar to rhabdomyolysis, a condition called coturnism. This toxicity was assumed to be due to quail feeding on hemlock during migration, but the article notes that hemlock is not necessary for quail to be poisonous, and other food sources have been proposed; the reason remains unclear. The toxicity is limited to certain geographic regions and the migration direction of the quail. A persistent assumption holds that it is impossible to eat quail every day for a month, but this has been achieved on several occasions. Only certain species of quail are considered kosher; the Orthodox Union certifies Coturnix coturnix as kosher based upon the masorah of Rabbi Shlomo Zev Zweigenhaft.

Did You Know?

• Quail are commonly eaten complete with the bones, as the bones are easily chewed and the small size makes removal inconvenient.
• China is the largest producer of quail meat in the world.
• Quail meat can be toxic, causing a condition called coturnism with symptoms similar to rhabdomyolysis.