Wikipedia

Squab

(Redirected from Squab (food))
For other uses, see Squab (disambiguation).

In culinary terminology, squab is an immature domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old,[1] or its meat. Some authors[who?] describe it as tasting like dark chicken.[2]

Pigeon chicks, approximately twenty days of age

The word "squab" probably comes from Scandinavia; the Swedish word skvabb means "loose, fat flesh".[3] The term formerly applied to all dove and pigeon species (such as the wood pigeon, the mourning dove, the extinct-in-the-wild socorro dove, and the now extinct passenger pigeon,[4][5]) and their meat. More recently, squab meat comes almost entirely from domesticated pigeons. The meat of dove and pigeon gamebirds hunted primarily for sport is rarely called "squab".[4]

The practice of domesticating pigeons as livestock may have originated in North Africa; historically, many societies have consumed squabs or pigeons, including ancient Egypt (still common in modern Egypt), Rome, China, India (Northeast),[6] and medieval Europe. Although squab has been consumed throughout much of recorded history, it is generally regarded[citation needed] as exotic, not as a contemporary staple food; there are more records of its preparation for the wealthy than for the poor.

The modern squab industry uses utility pigeons. Squab farmers[7] raise the young until they are roughly a month old (when they reach adult size but have not yet flown) before slaughter.

History

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A pair of king pigeons. Large breast muscles are common in utility pigeons.

The practice of domesticating pigeon as livestock may have come from the North Africa;[8] historically, squabs or pigeons have been consumed in many civilizations, including ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, and Medieval Europe.[4]: 211  Doves are considered kosher, though are not as common in the Jewish diet as they were in ancient times. Texts about methods of raising pigeons for their meat date as far back as AD 60 in Spain.[9] Such birds were hunted for their meat because it was a cheap and readily available source of protein.[4]

In the Tierra de Campos, a resource-poor region of north-western Spain, squab meat was an important supplement to grain crops from at least Roman times. Caelius Aurelianus, an Ancient Roman physician, regarded the meat as a cure for headaches, but by the 16th century, squab was believed to cause headaches.[9]

 
A dovecote in the caves of Orvieto, Italy where the locals have raised squab for food since the time of the Etruscans in the Iron Age[10]

From the Middle Ages, a dovecote (French pigeonnier) was a common outbuilding on an estate that aimed to be self-sufficient.[4] The dovecote was considered a "living pantry",[9] a source of meat for unexpected guests, and was important as a supplementary source of income from the sale of surplus birds.[11] Dovecotes were introduced to South America and Africa by Mediterranean colonists. In medieval England, squab meat was highly valued, although its availability depended on the season.[12]

In England, pigeon meat was eaten when other food was rationed during World War II and remains associated with wartime shortages and poverty. This was parodied in an episode of the sitcom Dad's Army, "Getting the Bird".[13][14] Nevertheless, many people continue to eat it, especially the older generation.

Husbandry

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Squab have been commercially raised in North America since the early 1900s. As of 1986, annual production in the United States and Canada was one and a half million squabs per year.[15]

Pigeons, unlike other poultry, form pair bonds to breed, and squabs must be brooded and fed by both parents until they are four weeks old; a pair of pigeons may produce 15 squabs per year.[15] Ten pairs can produce eight squabs each month without being fed by their keepers.[16] Pigeons which are accustomed to their dovecote may forage and return there to rest and breed.[9] Industrially raised pigeons have young which weigh 1.3 pounds (0.59 kg) when of age, as opposed to traditionally raised pigeons, which weigh 0.5 pounds (0.23 kg).[9]

Utility pigeons have been artificially selected for weight gain, quick growth, health when kept in large numbers, and health of their infants.[17] For a greater yield, commercially raised squab may be produced in a two-nest system, where the mother lays two new eggs in a second nest while her offspring are still growing in the first nest,[16] fed crop milk by both parents.[18] Establishing two breeding lines has been suggested as another strategy for greater yield, where one breeding line is selected for prolificacy and the other for "parental performance",[19] which, according to Aggrey and Cheng, is "vital" for squab growth after the age of two weeks.[15]

Meleg estimates that 15–20% of eggs fail to hatch in well-maintained pigeon lofts.[20] Egg size is important for the squab's initial size and for mortality at hatching,[citation needed] but becomes less important as the squab ages. Aggrey and Cheng feel that the hatched weight of squabs is not a good indicator of their weight at four weeks old.[15]

Squabs reach adult size, but are not yet ready to fly (making them easier to catch) after roughly a month; at this point, they are slaughtered.[4][9][16]

In cuisine

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Squab, (pigeon), meat only, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy863 kJ (142 kcal)
0.00
Dietary fiber0.0
7.50
Saturated1.96
Monounsaturated2.66
Polyunsaturated1.60
17.50
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
3%
28 μg
Vitamin A94 IU
Thiamine (B1)
24%
0.283 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
22%
0.285 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
16%
0.787 mg
Vitamin B6
31%
0.53 mg
Folate (B9)
2%
7 μg
Vitamin B12
20%
0.47 μg
Vitamin C
8%
7.2 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
13 mg
Iron
25%
4.51 mg
Magnesium
6%
25 mg
Manganese
1%
0.019 mg
Phosphorus
25%
307 mg
Potassium
8%
237 mg
Sodium
2%
51 mg
Zinc
25%
2.7 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water72.80
There is some variation in nutritional content depending on the breed of utility pigeon used for squabbing.[21]
 
A large volume of squab is served at Chinese American restaurants.

Usually considered a delicacy, squab is tender, moist and richer in taste than many commonly consumed poultry meats, but there is relatively little meat per bird, the meat being concentrated in the breast.[4][22] Squab is dark meat, and the skin is fatty, like that of duck.[4] The meat is very lean, easily digestible, and "rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins".[9] It has been described as having a "silky" texture, as it is very tender and fine-grained.[9][23] It has a milder taste than other game,[24] and has been described as having a mild berry flavor.[9] Squab's flavor lends itself to complex red or white wines.[24] The 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking cautions that if squab is cooked beyond medium-rare, its flavor becomes 'distinctly "livery"'.[25]

In the 14th century humorism book Health Regime, squab was regarded as a "hot and moist" food, whereas the meat of older pigeons was regarded as hot, dry, and "barely edible".[9] The Roman cookbook Apicius recommended sauces with a combined sweet and sour flavor to accompany roasted or braised squab. In 1607, a recipe book from a monastery in Salamanca, Spain, suggested cooking squab with pork fat or bitter limes. There is less information about traditional recipes incorporating squab or pigeon used by commoners, but there is evidence they were "handed down from generation to generation".[9]

In the 15th century, the Italian friar Luca Pacioli wrote a book of "culinary secrets" which included "How to Kill a Squab by Hitting with a Feather on the Head".[26] Indeed, squab would serve as a culinary staple in Italy, including in Umbrian and Tuscan cuisine since before the Medieval era.[10] In 18th century France, pigeons à la crapaudine ("toad-like squab") was a popular "dish of skill" for both rich and poor, in which the squab was arranged so that it looked like a frog, with the breast forming the frog's "face". Religious dietary laws once prohibited meat on fast days, but allowed frog's meat, as it was a water dweller. Pigeons à la crapaudine played with that convention, and is still part of French traditional cuisine.[27][28]

A 19th-century recipe from California for Pastales de pollos y pichones (Chicken and squab pastry) was as a savory pie with alternating layers of chicken and squab with a picadillo of minced veal, bacon, ham fried in lard with onion, mushrooms, apples, artichokes. tomatoes and seasonings layer.[29]

Commercially raised birds "take only half as long to cook" as traditionally raised birds, and are suitable for roasting, grilling, or searing, whereas the traditionally raised birds are better suited to casseroles and slow-cooked stews.[9] The meat from older and wild pigeons is much tougher than squab, and requires a long period of stewing or roasting to tenderize.[4] The consumption of squab probably stems from both the relative ease of catching birds which have not yet fledged,[4] and that unfledged birds have more tender meat.[30] Once a squab has fledged, its weight decreases significantly.[31]

Today, squab is part of the cuisine of many countries, including China, France, Egypt, the United States, Italy, Northern Africa, and several Asian countries.[21][32] Typical dishes include breast of squab (sometimes as the French salmis), Egyptian Mahshi (stuffed with rice or Freekeh and herbs), Assamese pigeon curry[33] and the Moroccan pastilla.[34] In Spain and France, squab is also preserved as a confit.[9] Demand for squab is increasing in Nigeria, despite being more expensive than beef, pork or chicken, as pigeons can quickly be raised to table weight and are easy to keep, providing diseases are controlled, as young pigeons are especially susceptible to disease.[citation needed]

 
Dressed squab displayed for sale in Hong Kong

In the United States, squab is "increasingly a specialty item", as the larger and cheaper chicken has mostly displaced it.[35] In 1942, MFK Fisher quipped in How to Cook a Wolf, "It is not easy to find pigeons, these days. Most of the ones you know about in the city are working for the government."[36] However, squab produced from specially raised utility pigeons continues to grace the menus of American haute cuisine restaurants such as Le Cirque and the French Laundry,[22][37] and has enjoyed endorsements from some celebrity chefs.[4] Accordingly, squab is often sold for much higher prices than other poultry, sometimes as high as eight USD per pound.[4]

In Indian cuisine, squab features prominently in the Northeast,[38] such as in the Assamese cuisine.[39] Pigeon is usually cooked as curry and is sometimes cooked with banana blossom.[40][33] It is popular among both the tribal[41][42] and non-tribal populations. Pigeon meat is associated with strength, and the pre-colonial Kamarupa Yatra also recommends it for health.[6] Pigeon is sacrificed in some Hindu temples, especially in the Shakta tradition, such as in the Kamakhya temple in India,[43][44] after which it can be eaten. A similar practice is followed in Nepal too.[45] Pigeon curry is often reserved for special occasions.[46]

In Chinese cuisine, squab is a part of celebratory banquets for holidays such as Chinese New Year, usually served deep-fried.[4] Cantonese-style pigeon is typically braised in soy sauce, rice wine and star anise then roasted with crispy skin and tender meat.[47] Squabs are sold live in Chinese marketplaces to assure freshness,[48] but they can also be dressed in two styles. "Chinese-style" (Buddhist slaughter) birds retain their head and feet, whereas "New York-dressed" (Confucian slaughter) birds retain their entrails, head and feet.[23] The greatest volume of U.S. squab is currently sold within Chinatowns.[4]: 213 

In Indonesian cuisine, especially Sundanese and Javanese, squab is usually seasoned, spiced with coriander, turmeric, garlic and deep fried in a lot of palm oil. It is served with sambal (chili sauce), tempeh, tofu, vegetables, and nasi timbel (rice wrapped in banana leaf). [citation needed]

Despite the relative ease of raising pigeons, squab is "not usually considered" in terms of its potential for food security.[16] In parts of the world, squab meat is thought of as distasteful by some consumers because they view feral pigeons as unsanitary urban pests.[32] However, squab meat is regarded as safer than some other poultry products as it harbors fewer pathogens,[49][50] and may be served between medium and well done.[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Game Birds". All Q'd Up. 2014-06-23. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. ^ Lachiusa, Dean (8 November 2021). Adventures in Historic Cures: Amusing Home Remedies, Anecdotes, and Definitions. Dean Lachiusa. Retrieved 16 September 2023. A domesticated pigeon that reportedly tastes like dark chicken.
  3. ^ "squab". Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). 2004. p. 1210. ISBN 978-0-87779-809-5. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Andrew D., Blechman (2006). Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. Open City Books. pp. 211–214. ISBN 978-0-8021-1834-9.
  5. ^ OED gives earliest known usage in 1640 as a young bird, in 1694 as a young pigeon.
  6. ^ a b Saikia, Arani (2013). "Food habits in pre-colonial Assam". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention. 2 (6): 1–5 – via Academia.edu.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ United States Department of Agriculture (August 1967). Squab Raising. Farmers' Bulletin, Issue 684 (revised ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  8. ^ Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes. A Shire album Shire Library. Vol. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7478-0504-5. Retrieved 2009-09-02.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Canova, Jane (Spring 2005). "Monuments to the Birds: Dovecotes and Pigeon Eating in the Land of Fields". Gastronomica. 5 (2): 50–59. doi:10.1525/gfc.2005.5.2.50. JSTOR 10.1525/gfc.2005.5.2.50.
  10. ^ a b "Pigeon recipes". Great Italian Chefs. 2019. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019.
  11. ^ Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes. A Shire album Shire Library. Vol. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-7478-0504-5. Retrieved 2009-09-02.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ Woolgar, C.M.; Serjeantson, Dale; Waldron, Tony (2006). Food in medieval England: diet and nutrition. Medieval history and archaeology. Oxford University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-19-927349-2.
  13. ^ Squab at IMDb
  14. ^ Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A–Z of Dad's Army. Orion. ISBN 0-7528-4637-X. [page needed]
  15. ^ a b c d Aggrey, S. E.; Cheng, K. M. (1992). "Estimation of genetic parameters for body weight traits in squab pigeons". Genetics Selection Evolution. 24 (6): 553–559. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-24-6-553. PMC 2711175.
  16. ^ a b c d Schiere, Hans; van der Hoek, Rein (2001). Livestock keeping in urban areas: a review of traditional technologies based on literature and field experiences. FAO animal production and health paper. Vol. 151. Food and Agriculture Organization. p. 29. ISBN 978-92-5-104575-6.
  17. ^ Skinner, B.F. (March 1986). "Some Thoughts About The Future". Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 45 (2): 229–245. doi:10.1901/jeab.1986.45-229. PMC 1348231. PMID 3958668.
  18. ^ Bolla, Gerry (2007). "Squab raising" (PDF). New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  19. ^ Aggrey, S.E.; Cheng, K.M. (1993). "Genetic and Posthatch Parental Influences on Growth in Pigeon Squabs". Journal of Heredity. 84 (3): 184–187. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111314.
  20. ^ "Poultry Research Foundation". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b J. F. Pomianowski; et al. (2009). "Research Note: Chemical composition, cholesterol content, and fatty acid profile of pigeon meat as influenced by meat-type breeds". Poultry Science. 88 (6): 1306–09. doi:10.3382/ps.2008-00217. PMID 19439644.
  22. ^ a b Thomas, Keller (1999). The French Laundry Cookbook. Artisan. ISBN 978-1-57965-126-8.
  23. ^ a b Green, Aliza (2005). Field Guide to Meat: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Meat, Poultry, and Game Cut. Quirk Books. pp. 221–223. ISBN 978-1-86374-017-6.
  24. ^ a b Cornish, Richard (July 25, 2006). "Pigeon fanciers". The Age. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  25. ^ JOC All New Rev. - 1997. Simon and Schuster. 1997-11-05. ISBN 9780684818702.
  26. ^ Parzen, Jeremy (Fall 2004). "Please Play with Your Food: An Incomplete Survey of Culinary Wonders in Italian Renaissance Cookery". Gastronomica. 4 (4): 25–33. doi:10.1525/gfc.2004.4.4.25.
  27. ^ Davis, Jennifer J. (February 2009). "Masters of Disguise: French Cooks Between Art and Nature, 1651–1793". Gastronomica. 9 (1): 36–49. doi:10.1525/gfc.2009.9.1.36.
  28. ^ Abrahams, Marc (29 September 2009). "When is a frog not a frog? When it's a bird". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  29. ^ El cocinero español by Encarnación Pinedo, 1898
  30. ^ Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes. A Shire album Shire Library. Vol. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7478-0504-5. Retrieved 2009-09-02.[permanent dead link‍]
  31. ^ "7.0 Backyard small species / 7.1.3 Pigeons". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
  32. ^ a b Blechman, Andrew D. (April 9, 2006). "March of the Pigeons". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  33. ^ a b Sarma, Upasana; Govila, Viney Kumar; Yadav, Akansha (2020). "The traditional and therapeutic use of banana and its plant based delicacies in ethnic Assamese cuisine and religious rituals from Northeast India" (PDF). Journal of Ethnic Foods. 7: 1–7. doi:10.1186/s42779-020-00053-5. S2CID 219530329.
  34. ^ Morgan, James L. (2006). Culinary creation: an introduction to foodservice and world cuisine. Butterworth-Heinemann hospitality management series. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-7506-7936-7.
  35. ^ Jerolmack, Colin (April 2007). "Animal archeology: Domestic pigeons and the nature-culture dialectic" (PDF). Qualitative Sociology Review. 3 (1): 74–95. doi:10.18778/1733-8077.3.1.06. S2CID 142002800.
  36. ^ "How to Make a Pigeon Cry" in How to Cook a Wolf (1942) in The Art of Eating: 50th Anniversary Edition by Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, page 419
  37. ^ Bruni, Frank (February 6, 2008). "In Defense of Decadence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  38. ^ Hauzel, Hoihnu (2014). Essential North-East Cookbook. Penguin.
  39. ^ Dutta, Parasmoni (2008). "Physical Folklife of Assam" (PDF). Folklife. 31: 20–21 – via Academia.edu.[dead link‍]
  40. ^ "Food of Assam | Mouth-Watering Dishes From Assam". Holidify. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  41. ^ Boro, Franky. "GLIMPSES OF TRADITIONAL FOOD HABITS, DRESS AND ORNAMENTS: A STUDY AMONG THE BODOS OF UDALGURI DISTRICT IN ASSAM" (PDF). ARF Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  42. ^ Kumari, Pratisha (2014). "The Mising foodways: an analytical study on the foods and food related cultural practices of the Misings of Assam" (PDF). Tezpur University Ernet.
  43. ^ Acharyya, Kangkan (30 May 2018). "Row over buffalo sacrifice in Kamakhya Temple: Banning practice will deprive poor, says head priest". [[Firstpost]. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  44. ^ Sunil, Oinam (16 October 2006). "At Kamakhya, there's no stopping animal sacrifice". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  45. ^ Lang, Olivia (24 November 2009). "Hindu sacrifice of 250,000 animals begins". The Guardian.
  46. ^ Patgiri, Rituparna (20 June 2021). "Assamese Pigeon Curry: How a staple dish is now becoming almost a rarity". EastMojo. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  47. ^ CNN Go 40 Hong Kong foods we can't live without Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine 13 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-09
  48. ^ Hsiung, Deih-Ta; Simonds, Nina; Lowe, Jason (2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Murdoch Books. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-74045-463-6. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  49. ^ a b Morgan, James L. (2006). Culinary creation: an introduction to foodservice and world cuisine. Butterworth-Heinemann hospitality management series. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-7506-7936-7.
  50. ^ Jeffrey, J.S.; Atwill, E.R.; Hunter, A. (2001). "Farm and management variables linked to fecal shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella in commercial squab production". Poultry Science. 80 (1): 66–70. doi:10.1093/ps/80.1.66. PMID 11214338. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-09-06.

Further reading

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Cooking

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  • Ash, John (2013). Culinary Birds: The Ultimate Poultry Cookbook. Philadelphia: Running Press. OCLC 861751622.
  • Daguin, Ariane; Faison, George; Pruess, Joanna (1999). D'Artagnan's Glorious Game Cookbook. Boston: Little & Brown. OCLC 40744512.
 
Look up squab in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Squab.

Husbandry

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