Quail: a delicacy or medicine?
In literature, this miracle bird is assigned the role of a savior, keeper of eternal traditions, it is considered as a delicacy to the royal fare and a welcome trophy of court hunters, and it’s egg is believed to be a “health capsule”.
Have you guessed? This is a quail! Quail is a symbol of kindness, passion and courage. And for many peoples, it is also a sign of material well-being and success.
Quail is often associated with the Greek island of Delos. In China, it is connected with flame, fire, summer. In Europe, her night flights are related with witchcraft.
In Central Asia, as in many countries of the East, quails were used as a fighting bird, and sometimes as a bird that could delight the most exquisite ear for music with its singing.
For the beneficial properties of quail meat and eggs, it is considered an elixir of youth or royal food.
It is known that the first animals in space were dogs, and then monkeys. However, for sure, few people know that once an ordinary terrestrial bird was the first not only to be sent into space, but also to be born there.
Specifically, it was a quail chick hatched in space from an egg taken aboard by the astronauts. It happened not so long ago, just three decades ago. And less than six months later, another and another quails visited space as well.
Asia has a long tradition of quail breeding. According to the sources, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun are considered the first to initiate this tradition. The sophisticated Japanese quail keepers bred them as decorative birds, while starting from the 16th century – as a food.
Since then, keeping and breeding these amazing birds in cages has taken place and it would be wrong to call it a modern innovation.
The poultry industry ranks a leading position in the global agricultural industry; it’s popularity is growing more and more. The ubiquitous Turkmen entrepreneurs managed to “leave traces” in this area too, though still on their own land.
Over fifty private poultry farms fully provide the domestic market with this type of products. Meanwhile, in terms of production capacity and equipment status, some of them may compete with foreign enterprises, but, again, I repeat – within our market.
They actively raising quail broadly for egg and meat, including frozen, as well as dealing with live poultry. According to farmers, quail is a very delicate bird and prefers clean environment for raise.
According to ancient healers and experts of modern medical science, quail eggs have many health benefits, may help to improve vision and sense of memory, and are perfect to prevent cough and cold. Quail eggs had good reason to be called “ampoules of health” in ancient Egypt, while in the folk medicine of the East, the tasty, dietary and ecologically friendly meat of this bird was used as an effective remedy to treat many deseases.
To list all benefits of eating quail eggs and mea would take a quite long time. That’s why, as they say, it is better to eat once, than to hear about it a thousand times…
Myahri YAGMUROVA
