Foie gras
Foie gras [fwä grä] (French for "fat liver") is the liver of a duck or goose that is swollen by overfeeding.
Production methods
Pliny credits the Roman gastronome Apicius, whose name is associated with the sole surviving Roman cookbook, with force feeding figs to geese to enlarge their livers. The idea may have been derived from Hellenistic Alexandria: most of Roman luxury cuisine owed its inspirations to Greeks. Roman culture would have spread the technique to Gaul: France is now the "home" of foie gras. The main areas of foie gras production can be found in the Dordogne and Midi-Pyrenees régions.
Along with truffles, foie gras is considered one of the greatest delicacies in the world of French cuisine. It is very rich and buttery, with a delicate flavor unlike regular duck or goose liver. The geese or ducks used in foie gras production have their throats held open temporarily to allow the farmer to pour feed directly into the stomach. The excess feed, usually corn, causes large amounts of fat to deposit in the liver, producing the buttery consistency.
Presentation
Foie gras is sold fresh, frozen, partially cooked, and fully cooked. It can be whole, "en bloc," "en terrine," or made into pâté. It is often served with a dessert wine such as Sauternes as the rich sweet flavours go well together, a classic example of wine and food matching.
Controversy
Some people regard this forced feeding (known as gavage in French) as cruel.
Foie gras is illegal in several locations, and legislation is pending in others. In August, 2003, the Supreme Court of Israel declared foie gras production to be animal cruelty, and made production illegal begining in March, 2005. On September 29, 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law that will ban the production or sale of foie gras from force fed birds in the state by 2012. The law would allow foie gras produced by methods that are not considered animal cruelty. Similar legislation is pending in New York. As California and New York are the only states with foie gras industries, if passed the New York law would end production in the United States. Foie gras is already illegal in the Germany, Denmark, and many other countries.