Foie Gras
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 11:06 AM , 1 comments
Foie gras (in English; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage (force-feeding) corn, according to French law, though outside of France
Foie gras with mustard seeds and spring onions in duck
Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté (the lowest quality), and may also be served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as steak.
French law states that "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France France ; in Hungary North America .
Ancient times
The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 BC, when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding. Whether they particularly sought the fattened livers of migratory birds as a delicacy remains undetermined. In the necropolis of Saqqara , in the tomb of Mereruka, an important royal official, there is a bas relief scene wherein workers grasp geese around the necks in order to push food down their throats. At the side stand tables piled with more food pellets, and a flask for moistening the feed before giving it to the geese.
The practice of goose fattening spread from Egypt to the Mediterranean . The earliest reference to fattened geese is from the 5th century BC Greek poet Cratinus, who wrote of geese-fatteners, yet Egypt Egypt
It was not until the Roman period, however, that foie gras is mentioned as a distinct food, which the Romans named iecur ficatum; iecur means and ficatum derives from ficus, meaning fig in Latin.
Today, France is by far the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations, the United States , and the People's Republic of China
Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial due to the force feeding procedure used, which many view as cruel and inhumane treatment. A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras.
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Article L654-27-1
Le foie gras fait partie du patrimoine culturel et gastronomique protégé en France
(Foie gras is part of the cultural and gastronomic patrimony protected in France. The term foie gras, the liver of a duck or a goose specially fathened by gavage.)
North America:
Based on these and other symptoms, veterinarians and pathologists have deemed force-feeding inhumane. Even foie gras industry representatives concede that the process would be fatal if it continued beyond a few weeks. Not surprisingly, the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is tremendously high — more than 20 times greater than that of conventional duck farming.
Foie gras producers portray force-feeding as a natural extension of the pre-migration gorging many waterfowl engage in to build up energy stores for long flights. However, no bird would ever voluntarily ingest so much food that he could not even walk or stand — much less fly. Further, the Moulard duck used in foie gras production is a cross between the Muscovy and Pekin breeds — neither of which even migrate. One former employee of a large North American foie gras facility explained, “The best way to maximize profits is to get the biggest — and hence, the most diseased — liver. As my supervisor stated, ‘the point of gavage is to make a duck as sick as possible, to bring them to the brink of death.’”
In addition to being cruelly force-fed, birds used for foie gras endure other abuses, including: • Cruel culling — Because their livers are thought to be too “veiny,” female hatchlings are disposed of by being ground up alive, gassed or suffocated inside plastic trash bags. • Mutilations — Because the intensive confinement of birds generates frustration and aggression, foie gras producers sever the ends of the ducks’ upper bills and the ends of their toes without analgesic to limit their injury to one another, a practice that results in chronic, lifelong pain. • Insufficient access to water — Although ducks and geese, as primarily aquatic birds, require water for preening, maintaining plumage condition and engaging in other instinctual behaviors, factory-farmed ducks and geese are barely given enough water in which to dip their beaks.
Europe/France:
Use of Toulouse Geese: Toulouse is a heavy breed of goose used for meat production and exhibition
The practice of force-feeding geese has a long history - it is said to date back to Egyptian times. The purpose is to swell their liver so that it turns white, becomes more fatty and loses its bitter taste. A pipe inserted into their throats is used to administer the grain.
As with much of farming and food production, it is the large-scale industrial-commercial enterprises that draw more criticism than small family-run farms.
Spanish company Pateria de Sousa, in Badajoz province, is seen as more ethical because it makes its foie gras by slaughtering the birds at a time when they have naturally eaten more to create reserves for what would have been migration.
It means the harvest is seasonal, before Christmas or in February, depending on the weather. And it is limited to geese, not including the more reliable, breed-able ducks. But the proof of the pudding comes in the tasting - and the French have already given it a food award at the Paris International Food Salon.
"We don't force feed the animals, they feed and live freely on our land," says the farm's owner, Eduardo Sousa. "The animals eat and eat and eat, so that they'll be fat for winter."
They live in symbiotic harmony with the farm's pigs, bred for its Spanish "jamon". While the pigs feed on acorns, the geese pick up their leftovers, plus the figs and lupins dotted around.
"We know when the geese are ready because their bellies drag on the ground." So how would they take off to migrate? Well, these ones don't.
Main producers
Country
|
Production (tons, 2005)
|
% of total
|
18,450
|
78.5%
| |
1,920
|
8.2%
| |
1,500
|
6.4%
| |
340 (2003)
|
1.4%
| |
200 (2005)
|
0.9%
| |
150
|
0.6%
| |
Others
|
940
|
4.0%
|
Total
|
23,500
|
100%
|
A tiny fact about Toulouse Geese =)
Geese belong to the duck family. The goose is known for its fierce hissing, biting and striking with their wings, to frighten off predators from its young. This, and their alarm 'honking', also makes them good guards.
Types of geese
There are several species of wild geese in Britain. The Canada Geese is the most common.
There are several species of wild geese in Britain. The Canada Geese is the most common.
Most geese have been bred from the Greylag wild goose. The most important domestic geese in this country are the all-grey Toulouse, from France, and the all-white Embden, from Germany. Chinese Geese come from the Asian Swan-goose.
Geese will migrate for thousands of miles, flying in 'V' formation.
The eggs take about 30 days to hatch into goslings, which can swim within a day or two.
What do geese eat?
Grain and grass.
Grain and grass.
Average lifespan
10 - 25 years.
10 - 25 years.
Foie Gras Contains:
Nutrients per 100g:
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Comments from BBC news Online:
Banning foie gras in York! Once again 'they' insist they know better than us. 'They' insist that 'they' inhabit the moral high ground; implying that we are not so advanced or developed in our thinking as 'them'. This is another proxy battle by the militant veggies whose ultimate aim is to reduce our freedom and make us follow their fascist diktat of vacuous vegetarianism.
Peter, Oxford UK
Peter, Oxford UK
I'm not sure it concerns 'vacuous vegetarianism' but rather why animals should be mistreated to provide a luxury food-stuff. Nothing against killing animals for food, however in Europe we don't have any excuses for not treating animals 'humanely' in rearing and killing them.
Peter, Barnet
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Peter, Barnet
My Comment:
Ok after knowing all of this (which i knew for a long time), i'm not gonna quit eating Foie Gras. Soweeeee to disappoint you all. I mean c'mon, its been a traditional in my family and we only eat this during Christmas. As it said, its only SEASON time which is on Christmas (Since its extremely expensive and its limited to how many Toulouse Geese can be forced fed and killed for only doing Foie Gras). Its just like "the hunting season". There is a law as to how many animals can be killed. But now there are "poachers" killing unnecessary for selling skin for money.
So in conclusion I should say that the Americans has actually ruined the way of producing Foie gras by mistreating the animals condition when by right, they are supposed to roam freely (Like chickens) and feed them ACCORDING of grams that needs to be fed and how many times in a day to do so. All of this is processed up to 18-26weeks (According to the Health Minister of France) I found out that in America they managed to speed things up to 17weeks.
If the people do NOT know how to follow the exact rules of doing something that is extremely precious, delicate and expensive to do, then DON'T DO IT! don't think that just because European people have a better way of eating + managing their food well, DOES NOT MEAN you have to take over and think that you can do better! (obviously it isn't any better. Instead its WORSE.) It will still be a traditional and will always be. You cannot stop something that has been there since the ancient times. Instead, find a better way to do this humanly way like feeding them dried figs (takes up to 36weeks to fatten up the liver, if your not that much in a hurry)
It gets me angry to see other companies taking over something and ruining the actual traditional. Now its becoming horrandious and now it has become Animal Right of not having "fois gras". Not only just goose, but chicken and Cows and other livestock animals.What about not having any meat at all?! then the population would increase and then problem will come as 'Pest' like Kangaroos/Koalas in Australia. And then goes the killing again to reduce the population, and people would have lost taste in meat and the rest will be dumped in garbage areas, then will stink like rotten Earth and more problem will occur for Health Issue etc etc. It will never be a endless problem. Instead, let it be BUT just find "another" way to do things instead of just 'cutting" everything all of a sudden. I know for sure I won't be able to stay for a long time without actually eating meat. BUT i do eat my VEGGIES!
I'm still eating meat because its my choice to do so and I was raised to eat equally. I respect the vegetarians. I mean there is nothing wrong with them. I have absolutely no opinions about them except they will be growing bunny ears soon. LOL! xD *sounds cute* But what I don't like is a vegetarian forcing me to become one. Then maybe I should become a Muslim since they asked me to convert o.O; . FAT LUCK! i will never convert to anything but FREEDOM TO SPEAK/CHOOSE AND BEING ME.
Hate me if you want, but we are all carnivores, savages human being after all. *blink blink*
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Cheerios!!!
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