Quail Meat Comeback (With Recipes)

Coturnix Quail have been in our society for centuries, and have been overlooked as a food source because of agricultural advances and factory farming in the poultry and beef industry. However, they are starting to make a comeback.  With its fast growth of 6-7 weeks and multi uses, the Coturnix is becoming a popular item in many countries, appearing on shelves as ready to eat products in Europe, and on Market Streets in Asia.

Pickled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and peeled eggs with celery salt: these are a few examples of popular items.

China, France, Spain, Italy, and the United States are the largest quail producers, with China being in the lead. As popularity rises, the United States need more quail producers in the future to meet demand.

Quail meat is considered more of an exotic meat. It is pigmented and of dark meat with a strong “gamey” taste. In terms of its composition, quail meat is healthier than broilers, therefore they should be making their comeback and becoming popular in the United States soon. Quail meat has a high protein content and low fat content, as well as higher amounts of minerals and vitamins compared to broilers. This makes quail meat more marketable and thus, getting more demand.

The demand for quail meat has steadily increased in recent years. This is due to the popularity of the meat at high end restaurants and grocery stores. The issue at this moment is the lack of producers to meet the demand. We need to educate people and encourage them in quail raising and help them find their niche in the market. They need to explore the possibilities in quail so quail can make a full comeback.