Foie gras

Foie gras (French for "fat liver") is the liver of a duck or goose that has been overfed. 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.

History and main producers

As far back as 2500 BC, the Egyptians sought the fattened livers of migratory birds as a delicacy. They soon learned that many birds could be over fed and began the practice of overfeeding captive geese. Pliny the Elder credits the Roman gastronome Apicius, whose name is associated with the sole surviving Roman cookbook, with feeding figs to geese to enlarge their livers. The idea may have been derived from Hellenistic Alexandria: much of Roman luxury cuisine owes its inspirations to the Greeks. Roman culture would have spread the technique to Gaul.

Related Topics:
2500 BC - Pliny the Elder - Apicius

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France is now the "home" of foie gras. 80% of the world production (16370 tonnes in 2003, 96% in duck and the rest in goose), and 98% of the transformation, occur in France http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3228,36-391307,0.html. 30,000 people are involved in the industry with 90% residing in the Périgord (Dordogne) and Midi-Pyrénées régions in the southwest, as well as in the east (Alsace). The European Union recognizes the foie gras produced according to traditional farming methods (label rouge) in southwestern France with a geographical indication of provenance.

Related Topics:
France - 2003 - Dordogne - Midi-Pyrénées - Région - Alsace

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