Squab (food) 1

Squab (food)

Squab breast served at a French restaurant

In culinary terminology, squab (probably of Scandinaviandescent; skvabb, meaning "loose, fat flesh")[1] is a young domesticpigeon or its meat. The word squab was formerly used to describeyoung birds from several species, but has since come to meanyoung pigeons and their meat.[2] [3] Squabs are raised to the age ofroughly a month before being killed for eating;[3] [4] [5] they havereached adult size but have not yet flown.[3] The practice ofdomesticating pigeon as livestock may have come from the MiddleEast;[6] historically, squabs or pigeons have been consumed inmany civilizations, including Ancient Egypt, Rome and MedievalEurope.[3] There is more information about recipes includingsquab eaten by rich people than those that poor people used.[4] Although squab has been consumed throughout muchof recorded history, squab is not usually a staple food in modern times, and may be considered peculiar or exotic.[3]

The modern squab industry uses utility pigeons and may use two-nest methods or selective breeding to improveyield.[5] [7] [8]

History

A white Carneau/King Hubbard squab at the ageof two weeks. Note the large breast muscles

common in utility pigeons.

The practice of domesticating pigeon as livestock may have come fromthe Middle East;[6] historically, squab or pigeons have been consumedin many civilizations, including Ancient Egypt, Rome and MedievalEurope.[3] Texts about methods of raising pigeons for their meat havebeen dated back to AD 60 in Spain.[4] The term "squab" formerlyincluded the meat of all dove and pigeon species, such as the WoodPigeon, the Mourning Dove, and the now-extinct Passenger Pigeon.[3]

Such birds were hunted for their meat because it was a cheap andreadily available source of protein.[3]

In the Tierra de Campos, a north-western region of Spain, theagricultural practices of keeping cattle, sheep, crop rotation and brushburning changed the land from forests into plains. Grain crops were themajor agricultural activity, followed by squab meat.[4] From theMiddle Ages a dovecote (French pigeonnier) was a commonoutbuilding on an estate that aimed to be self-sufficient.[3] Thedovecote was considered a "living pantry",[4] a source of meat forunexpected guests, and was important as a supplementary source ofincome from selling the surplus birds.[9] In medieval England, squabmeat was "highly valued", although its availability depended on the seasons - in one dovecote in the 1320s, nearlyhalf the squabs produced were in the summer months, and none were in the winter months.[10] Caelius Aurelianus, aRoman physician, regarded the meat as a cure for headaches, but by the 16th century, squab was believed to causeheadaches. In the 14th century humorism book Health Regime, squab was regarded as a "hot and moist" food,whereas the meat of old pigeons were regarded as hot, dry and "barely edible".[4]

More recently, squab is almost entirely from domestic pigeons. The meat of dove and pigeon gamebirds hunted primarily for sport is rarely called squab.[3] Utility pigeons have been artificially selected for weight gain, quick

Squab (food) 2

growth, health when kept in large numbers, and health of their infants.[11] Industrially raised pigeons have youngwhich weigh 1.3 pounds (0.59 kg) when of age, as opposed to traditionally raised pigeons, which weigh 0.5 pounds(0.23 kg).[4] Ten pairs of pigeons can produce eight squabs each month without being fed by the pigeon keepers,[5]

pigeons which are accustomed to their dovecote may forage and return there to rest and breed.[4] For a greater yield,commercially raised squab may be produced in a two-nest system, where the mother lays two new eggs in a secondnest while the squabs are still growing in the first nest,[5] fed by their father.[7] Establishing two breeding lines hasbeen suggested as another strategy for greater yield, where one breeding line is selected for prolificacy and the otheris selected for "parental performance".[8]

In cuisine

A large volume of squab is served atChinese-American restaurants.

Squab is dark meat, and the skin is fatty, like that of duck.[3] The meat is verylean, easily digestible, and "is rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins".[4] Squabhas been described as having a "silky" texture, as it is very tender andfine-grained.[4] [12] Squab has a milder taste than other game,[13] and has beendescribed as having a mild berry flavor.[4]

The Roman cookbook Apicius recommended sauces with a combined sweet andsour flavor to accompany roasted or braised squab. In 1607 a recipe book from amonastery suggested cooking squab with pork fat or bitter limes. There is lessinformation about traditional recipes incorporating squab or pigeon used bycommoners, but there is evidence recipes involving squab were "handed downfrom generation to generation".[4] In the 15th century, the Italian friar LucaPacioli wrote a book of "culinary secrets" which included "How to Kill a Squabby Hitting with a Feather on the Head".[14] In 18th century France, pigeons à lacrapaudine ("Toadlike Squab") was a popular "dish of skill" for both rich andpoor, in which the squab was arranged so that it appeared froglike, 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. Pigeonsà la crapaudine played with that convention, and is still part of French traditional cuisine.[15] [16]

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.[4]

The meat from older and wild pigeons is tougher than squab, and requires a long period of stewing or roasting totenderize.[3] The use of squabs probably stems from the relative ease of catching birds which have not yet fledged,[3]

or that unfledged birds have more tender meat.[17] Despite the relative ease of raising pigeons, squab is "not usuallyconsidered" in terms of its potential to assist in food security efforts.[5] Usually considered a delicacy, squab istender, moist and richer in taste than many commonly-consumed poultry meats, but there is relatively little meat perbird, the meat being concentrated in the breast.[3] [18]

Today, squab is eaten in many countries, including France, the United States, Italy, the Maghreb, and several Asiancountries.[19] Typical dishes include breast of squab (sometimes as the French salmis), Egyptian mahshi (stuffedwith rice and herbs), and the Moroccan dish pastilla.[20] In Spain and France, squab is also preserved as a confit.[4]

Demand for squab is increasing in Nigeria, despite being more expensive than beef, pork or chicken, as pigeons arequick to raise to table weight and are easy to keep, providing diseases are controlled, as young pigeons are especiallysusceptible to disease.[21]

In parts of the developed world, squab meat is thought of as exotic or distasteful by consumers, because the feral pigeon is considered an unsanitary urban pest.[19] In England pigeon meat was eaten when other food was rationed during the war and remains associated with wartime shortages and poverty. This was parodied in an episode of the sitcom Dad's Army.[22] [23] Nevertheless many people still eat it, especially the older generation. Squab meat is

Squab (food) 3

regarded as safer than some other poultry products as it harbors fewer pathogens,[24] [25] and may be served betweenmedium and well done.[24] Squab's flavor lends itself to complex red or white wines.[13] In the United States ofAmerica, squab is "increasingly a specialty item", as the larger and cheaper chicken displaced it.[26] However, squabproduced from specially-raised utility pigeons continues to be a part of the menus at American haute cuisinerestaurants such as Le Cirque and The French Laundry,[18] [27] and has enjoyed endorsements from some celebritychefs.[3] Accordingly, squab is often sold for much higher prices than other poultry, sometimes as high as eight USDper pound.[3] In Chinese cuisine, squab is a part of celebratory banquets for holidays such as Chinese New Year,usually served deep-fried.[3] Squabs are sold live in Chinese marketplaces to assure freshness,[28] but they can alsobe dressed in two styles. "Chinese-style" (Buddhist slaughter) birds retain their head and feet, whereas "NewYork-dressed" (Confucian slaughter) birds retain their entrails, head and feet.[12] The greatest volume of U.S. squabis currently sold within Chinatowns.[3]

References[1] "squab" (http:/ / www. merriam-webster. com/ dictionary/ squab). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). p. 1210.

ISBN 9780877798095. . Retrieved 27 August 2009.[2] OED gives earliest usage 1640 as a young bird, 1694 as a young pigeon.[3] Andrew D., Blechman (2006). Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. Open City Books.

ISBN 0802118348.[4] 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.[5] Schiere, Hans; van der Hoek, Rein (2001). Livestock keeping in urban areas: a review of traditional technologies based on literature and

field experiences (http:/ / books. google. com/ ?id=mywom_Ourn8C& pg=PP12& dq=squab+ meat+ pigeon& q=pigeon). FAO animalproduction and health paper. 151. Food and Agriculture Organization. p. 29. ISBN 9789251045756. .

[6] Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes (http:/ / books. google. com/ ?id=i3A4eojqseYC& pg=PA4& dq="pigeon+ keeping"+ squab& q=). A Shirealbum Shire Library. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 9780747805045. . Retrieved 2009-09-02.

[7] Bolla, Gerry (2007). "Squab raising" (http:/ / www. dpi. nsw. gov. au/ __data/ assets/ pdf_file/ 0011/ 213221/ Squab-raising. pdf). New SouthWales Department of Primary Industries. . Retrieved 2009-09-03.

[8] Aggrey, S.E.; Cheng, K.M. (1993). "Genetic and Posthatch Parental Influences on Growth in Pigeon Squabs" (http:/ / jhered. oxfordjournals.org/ cgi/ content/ abstract/ 84/ 3/ 184). Journal of Heredity 84 (3): 184–187. . Retrieved 2009-09-03.

[9] Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes (http:/ / books. google. com/ ?id=i3A4eojqseYC& pg=PA4& dq="pigeon+ keeping"+ squab& q=). A Shirealbum Shire Library. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 9780747805045. . Retrieved 2009-09-02.

[10] Woolgar, C.M.; Serjeantson, Dale, Waldron, Tony (2006). Food in medieval England: diet and nutrition (http:/ / books. google. com/?id=MO_Obx4ns9wC& pg=PA148& dq=squab+ meat+ pigeon& q=squabs). Medieval history and archaeology. Oxford University Press.p. 151. ISBN 9780199273492. .

[11] 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.

[12] Green, Aliza (2005). Field Guide to Meat: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Meat, Poultry, and Game Cut (http:/ /books. google. com/ ?id=qf2l--rO3JIC& pg=RA1-PA222& dq=squab+ asia& q=squab asia). Quirk Books. pp. 221–223.ISBN 9781594740176. .

[13] Cornish, Richard (July 25, 2006). "Pigeon fanciers" (http:/ / www. theage. com. au/ news/ epicure/ pigeon-fanciers/ 2006/ 07/ 24/1153593241889. html). The Age. . Retrieved 2009-09-02.

[14] 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.

[15] 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.

[16] Abrahams, Marc (29 September 2009). "When is a frog not a frog? When it's a bird" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ education/ 2009/ sep/29/ improbable-research-frog-bird). The Guardian. . Retrieved 20 October 2010.

[17] Hansell, Jean (2001). Dovecotes (http:/ / books. google. com/ ?id=i3A4eojqseYC& pg=PA4& dq="pigeon+ keeping"+ squab& q=). A Shirealbum Shire Library. 213. Osprey Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9780747805045. . Retrieved 2009-09-02.

[18] Thomas, Keller (1999). The French Laundry Cookbook. Artisan. ISBN 1579651267.[19] Blechman, Andrew D. (April 9, 2006). "March of the Pigeons" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2006/ 04/ 09/ opinion/ nyregionopinions/

09CIblechman. html?scp=32& sq=squab& st=nyt). The New York Times. . Retrieved 2008-02-24.[20] Morgan, James L. (2006). Culinary creation: an introduction to foodservice and world cuisine (http:/ / books. google. com/

?id=On54ig_hS9EC& pg=PA1& dq=Pastilla+ squab& q=squab). Butterworth-Heinemann hospitality management series.Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 10. ISBN 9780750679367. .

Squab (food) 4

[21] Natala, A.J.; Asemadahun, N.D., Okubanjo, O.O., Ulayi, B.M., Owolabi, Y.H., Jato, I.D., Yusuf, K.H. (2009). "A Survey of Parasites ofDomesticated Pigeon (Columba livia domestic) in Zaria, Nigeria" (http:/ / www. medwelljournals. com/ fulltext/ ijsc/ 2009/ 148-150. pdf).International Journal of Soft Computing 4 (4): 148–150. . Retrieved 2009-09-01.

[22] Squab (food) (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0552289/ ) at the Internet Movie Database[23] [# Croft, David; Perry, Jimmy; Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army. Orion. ISBN 0-75284-637-X. ][24] Morgan, James L. (2006). Culinary creation: an introduction to foodservice and world cuisine (http:/ / books. google. com/

?id=On54ig_hS9EC& pg=PA1& dq=Pastilla+ squab& q=squab). Butterworth-Heinemann hospitality management series.Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 220. ISBN 9780750679367. .

[25] Jeffrey, J.S.; Atwill, E.R., Hunter, A. (2001). "Farm and management variables linked to fecal shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella incommercial squab production" (http:/ / ps. fass. org/ cgi/ reprint/ 80/ 1/ 66). Poultry Science 80 (1): 66–70. PMID 11214338. .

[26] Jerolmack, Colin (April 2007). "Animal archeology: Domestic pigeons and the nature-culture dialectic" (http:/ / www.qualitativesociologyreview. org/ ENG/ Volume6/ QSR_3_1_Jerolmack. pdf). Qualitative Sociology Review 3 (1): 74–95. .

[27] Bruni, Frank (February 6, 2008). "In Defense of Decadence" (http:/ / events. nytimes. com/ 2008/ 02/ 06/ dining/ reviews/ 06rest.html?scp=1& sq=squab& st=nyt). The New York Times. . Retrieved 2008-02-24.

[28] Hsiung, Deih-Ta; Simonds, Nina, Lowe, Jason (2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers (http:/ / books. google. com/?id=-9XWQrpbLAgC& pg=PA6& dq=squab+ China+ meat+ -"squabble"& q=squab). Murdoch Books. p. 125. ISBN 9781740454636. .Retrieved 2009-09-02.

Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and ContributorsSquab (food)  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=421886664  Contributors: 842U, Andrew Maiman, Anna Frodesiak, Binksternet, Blurpeace, BorgQueen, Connormah, Dr.frog,Dysmorodrepanis, EmilJ, Epbr123, FrancescoMazzucotelli, G-Dett, GLADISS, GeeJo, Hmains, Jimfbleak, Johnbod, Julia Rossi, Kakofonous, Kguirnela, Kingpin13, LOL, Lissajous, Malkinann,Marek69, Moocow 55, Ms2ger, Nacimota, Ocaasi, Pinethicket, Ralawy, Rjwilmsi, Shawn in Montreal, Snowmanradio, Soap, Steven Walling, Sting au, THEN WHO WAS PHONE?, Takamaxa,Takeaway, ThaddeusB, TheFeds, VaderRacer, Verne Equinox, Wetman, William Avery, XXxJediKnightxXx, Xiaoyao76, Yogesh Khandke, 51 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Squab at French restaurant.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Squab_at_French_restaurant.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: JasperYue from Union CityFile:White Pigeon Bird 74 patchy.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:White_Pigeon_Bird_74_patchy.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Jessica BaileyFile:Chinese squab.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chinese_squab.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Ernesto Andrade from Fremont,United States

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