Pâté de foie gras (right) with pickled pear.

Foie gras [fwɑ gʁɑ] (French for "fat liver") is "the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage" (as defined by French law^[1]). Pâté de Foie Gras is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov which was first published in the September 1956 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1810x1129, 1005 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Foie gras Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1810x1129, 1005 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Foie gras Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... For the bird, see Liver bird. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. ... Toulouse Geese Toulouse Geese (Latin Name Anser anser), as the name suggest originate from the area around Toulouse in Southwest France. ... Force-feeding is the practice of feeding someone against his or her will. ...

Foie gras is one of the most popular delicacies in French cuisine and its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras can be sold whole, or prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté (the lowest quality), and is typically served as an accompaniment to another comestible (food item), such as toast or steak. This is a List of delicacies. ... French cuisine is considered to be one of the worlds most refined and elegant styles of cooking. ... Various pâtés and terrines Salmon terrine, with a cream and herb sauce A slice of Bloc de foie gras Pâté (French pronunciation: ; RP pronunciation: ; General American pronunciation ) is a form of spreadable paste, usually made from meat (although vegetarian variants exist), and often served with toast as...

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.^[2] 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 China.^[3] (Redirected from 2500 BC) (26th century BC - 25th century BC - 24th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2494 BC -- End of Fourth Dynasty, start of Fifth Dynasty in Egypt. ... Map of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was the civilization of the Nile Valley between about 3000 BC and the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based on irrigation it is the quintessential example of an hydraulic empire. ...

In modern foie gras production, force feeding takes place 12−18 days before slaughter. The duck or goose is typically fed a controlled amount of corn mash through a tube inserted in the animal's esophagus. Due to this force feeding procedure, and the possible health consequences of an enlarged liver, animal rights and welfare organizations and activists regard foie gras production methods as cruel to animals. Foie gras producers maintain that force feeding ducks and geese is not uncomfortable for the animals nor is it hazardous to their health. Scientific evidence regarding the animal welfare aspects of foie gras production is limited^[4] and inconclusive.^[5] A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras due to how it is produced. The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ... For the album by Moby, see Animal Rights (album). ... Animal welfare is the viewpoint that animals, especially those under human care, should not suffer unnecessarily, including where the animals are used for food, work, companionship, or research. ...

History

A bas relief depiction of overfeeding geese

ImageMetadata File history File links Egyptiangeesefeeding. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Egyptiangeesefeeding. ... Bas-relief (pronounced bah-relief, French for low relief) is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal creating a sculpture portrayed as a picture. ...

Ancient times

As early as 2500 BCE, the ancient Egyptians learned that many birds could be fattened through overfeeding and began this practice. Whether they particularly sought the fattened livers of migratory birds as a delicacy remains undetermined.^[6][7] 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, probably roasted grain, and a flask for moistening the feed before giving it to the geese.^[8][7][9] (Redirected from 2500 BCE) (26th century BC - 25th century BC - 24th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2494 BC -- End of Fourth Dynasty, start of Fifth Dynasty in Egypt. ... The species that periodically migrate are called migratory bird, those that do not are called resident bird See also Resident bird Category: ... For the record label, see Necropolis Records. ... Saqqara Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah (Arabic: سقارة) is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the worlds oldest standing step pyramid (). It is located some 30 km south of modern-day Cairo and covers an area of around 7 km by 1. ... Bas-relief (pronounced bah-relief, French for low relief) is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal creating a sculpture portrayed as a picture. ...

The practice of geese-fattening spread from Egypt to the Mediterranean.^[10] The earliest reference to fattened geese is from the 5th century BCE Greek poet Cratinus, who wrote of geese-fatteners, yet Egypt maintained its reputation as the source for fattened geese. When the Spartan king Agesilaus visited Egypt in 361 BCE, he was greeted with fattened geese and calves, the riches of Egyptian farmers.^[11][7] (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Demotic becomes the dominant script of ancient Egypt Persians invade Greece twice (Persian Wars) Battle of Marathon (490) Battle of Salamis (480) Athenian empire formed and falls Peloponnesian War... Cratinus (c. ... For other uses see Sparta (disambiguation). ... Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II, king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid family, was the son of Archidamus II and Eupolia, and younger step-brother of Agis II, whom he succeeded about 401 BC. Agis had, indeed, a son Leotychides, but he was set aside as illegitimate, current rumour representing him... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 366 BC 365 BC 364 BC 363 BC 362 BC 361 BC 360 BC 359 BC 358...

It was not until the Roman period, however, that foie gras is mentioned as a distinct food, which the Romans named iecur ficatum^[12][13][14]; iecur means liver^[15] and ficatum derives from ficus, meaning fig in Latin.^[16] The emperor Heliogabalus fed his dogs on foie gras during the four years of his chaotic reign.^[17] Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) credits his contemporary, Roman gastronome Marcus Gavius Apicius, with feeding dried figs to geese in order to enlarge their livers: For the bird, see Liver bird. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Varius Avitus Bassianus Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, (c. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Marcus Gavius Apicius was a notorious Roman gourmet and lover of luxury who lived in the 1st century AD. He is sometimes mistakenly said to be the author of the Roman cookbook Apicius, which was actually compiled about 300 years later; there is in fact no early evidence that Apicius...

"Apicius made the discovery, that we may employ the same artificial method of increasing the size of the liver of the sow, as of that of the goose; it consists in cramming them with dried figs, and when they are fat enough, they are drenched with wine mixed with honey, and immediately killed."

– Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book VIII. Chapter 77^[18] Naturalis Historia, 1669 edition, title page. ...

Hence, the term iecur ficatum, fig-stuffed liver; feeding figs to enlarge a goose's liver may derive from Hellenistic Alexandria, since much of Roman luxury cuisine is of Greek inspiration.^[19] Ficatum was closely associated with animal liver and it became the root word for "liver"^[20] in each of these languages: foie in French,^[21] hígado in Spanish, fígado in Portuguese, fegato in Italian and ficat in Romanian, all meaning "liver"; this etymology has been explained in different manners.^[22][23] Still life with fruit basket and vases (Pompeii, ca. ... The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. ...

Postclassical Europe

After the fall of the Roman empire, goose liver temporarily vanished from European cuisine. Some claim that Gallic farmers preserved the foie gras tradition until the rest of Europe rediscovered it centuries later, but the medieval French peasant's food animals were mainly pig and sheep.^[24] Others claim that the tradition was preserved by the Jews, who learned the method of enlarging a goose's liver during the Roman colonisation of Israel^[25] or earlier from Egyptians.^[26] The Jews carried this culinary knowledge as they migrated farther north and west to Europe.^[25]

The Judaic dietary law, Kashrut, forbade lard as a cooking medium, and butter, too, was proscribed as an alternative since Kashrut also prohibited mixing meat and dairy products.^[10] Jewish cuisine used olive oil in the Mediterranean, and sesame oil in Babylonia, but neither cooking medium was easily available in Western and Central Europe, so poultry fat (known in Yiddish as schmaltz), which could be abundantly produced by overfeeding geese, was substituted in their stead.^[25][27] The delicate taste of the goose's liver was soon appreciated; Hans Wilhelm Kirchhof of Kassel wrote in 1562 that the Jews raise fat geese and particularly love their livers. Some Rabbis were concerned with the kashrut dietary complications consequent to overfeeding geese, because Jewish law prohibits eating a treyf animal. The chasam sofer, Rabbi Moses Sofer, contended that it is not a treyf animal as none of its limbs is damaged. This matter remained a debated topic in Jewish dietary law until the Jewish taste for goose liver declined in the 19th century.^[25] Another kashrut matter, still a problem today, is that even properly slaughtered and inspected meat must be drained of blood before being considered fit to eat. Usually, salting achieves that; however, as liver is regarded as "(almost) wholly blood", broiling is the only way of kashering. Properly broiling a foie gras while preserving its delicate taste is an arduous endeavour few engage in seriously. Look up kosher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the fat. ... For other uses, see Butter (disambiguation). ... For the Popeye character, see Olive Oyl. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Chinese Sesame Oil White sesame seeds Sesame oil (also known as gingelly oil and til oil) is an organic oil derived from sesames, noted to have the distinctive aroma and taste of its parent seed. ... Babylonia was a state in southern Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq, combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Fat percentage can vary. ... Hans Wilhelm Kirchhof (1525?-1602?, sometimes known as Kirchhoff) was a German Landsknecht, baroque poet and translator. ... This article is about the city of Kassel in Hessen, Germany. ... Year 1562 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Look up kosher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that Kosher foods be merged into this article or section. ... Rabbi Moses ben Samuel Sofer or Schreiber, also known by his main work Hatam Sofer or the Chasam Soifer (שות חתם סופר - Responsa the Seal of the Scribe), was one of the leading rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century. ... It has been suggested that Kosher foods be merged into this article or section. ...

Gentile gastronomes began appreciating fattened goose liver, which they could buy in the local Jewish ghetto of their cities. In 1570, Bartolomeo Scappi, chef de cuisine to Pope Pius V, published his cookbook Opera, wherein he describes that "the liver of [a] domestic goose raised by the Jews is of extreme size and weighs [between] two and three pounds."^[28] In 1581, Marx Rumpolt of Mainz, chef to several German nobles, published the massive cookbook Kochbuch, describing that the Jews of Bohemia produced livers weighing more than three pounds; he lists recipes for it—including one for goose liver mousse.^[28][29] János Keszei, chef to the court of Michael Apafi, the prince of Transylvania, included foie gras recipes in his 1680 cookbook A New Book About Cooking, instructing cooks to "envelop the goose liver in a calf's thin skin, bake it and prepare [a] green or [a] brown sauce to accompany it. I used goose liver fattened by Bohemian Jews, its weight was more than three pounds. You may also prepare a mush of it." A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background live as a group in seclusion, voluntarily or involuntarily. ... Bartolomeo Scappi Bartolomeo Scappi was a famous Renaissance chef. ... Pope St. ... Events January 16 - English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism April 4 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. July 26 - The Northern Netherlands proclaim their independence from Spain in the Oath of Abjuration. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Mousse is a form of creamy dessert typically made from egg, sugar, and cream usually with other flavors such as chocolate or fruit. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ...

Main producers

France is the leading producer and consumer of duck and goose foie gras. In 2005, the country produced 18,450 tonnes of foie gras (78.5% of the world's estimated total production of 23,500 tonnes) of which 96% was duck liver and the rest goose liver. Total French consumption of foie gras was 19,000 tonnes in 2005.^[30] Approximately 30,000 people are members of the French foie gras industry, with 90% of them residing in the Périgord (Dordogne), the Midi-Pyrénées régions in the southwest, and (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. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dordogne (Occitan: Dordonha) is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River. ... (Region flag) (Occitan cross) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Ariège Aveyron Gers Haute-Garonne Hautes-Pyrénées Lot Tarn Tarn-et-Garonne Arrondissements 22 Cantons 293 Communes 3,020 Statistics Land area1 45,348 km² Population (Ranked 8th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... (New region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Statistics Land area1 8,280 km² (??? mi) km² Population (Ranked 14th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ...

Hungary is the world's second-greatest foie gras producer and the largest exporter (1,920 tonnes in 2005). France is the principal market for Hungarian foie gras; mainly exported raw. Approximately 30,000 Hungarian goose farmers are dependent on the foie gras industry.^[33] French food companies spice, process, and cook the foie gras so it may be sold as a French product in its domestic and export markets.^[34] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bulgaria produced 1,500 tonnes of foie gras in 2005;^[30] Québec, Canada, also has a thriving foie gras industry; Canadian chefs use Québec foie gras as a demonstration of national pride. The demand for foie gras in the Far East is such that China has become a sizeable producer; however, Chinese foie gras is viewed with some suspicion by the French.^[35] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and South Asia. ...

Forms of foie gras

An entire foie gras (partly prepared for a terrine).

In France, foie gras exists in different, legally-defined presentations, from the expensive to the cheap:^[36] Download high resolution version (2372x980, 265 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2372x980, 265 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Chocolate terrine prepared as a dessert. ...

• foie gras entier (whole foie gras), made of one or two whole liver lobes; either cooked (cuit), semi-cooked (mi-cuit), or fresh (frais);
• foie gras, made of pieces of livers reassembled together;
• bloc de foie gras, a fully-cooked, molded block composed of 98% or more foie gras; if termed avec morceaux ("with pieces"), it must contain at least 50% foie gras pieces for goose, and 30% for duck.

Additionally, there exist pâté de foie gras; mousse de foie gras (both must contain 50% or more foie gras); parfait de foie gras (must contain 75% or more foie gras); and other preparations (no legal obligation established).

Fully cooked preparations are generally sold in either glass containers or metal cans for long-term preservation. Whole, fresh foie gras is usually unavailable in France, except in some producers' markets in the producing regions. Frozen whole foie gras sometimes is sold in French supermarkets. For the American naval slang term, see destroyer. ...

Whole foie gras is readily available from gourmet retailers in Quebec, the United States, Hungary, Australia, Argentina and regions with a sizable market for the product. In US, raw foie gras is classified as Grade A, B or C, with Grade A typically being the best for searing.

Production methods

Typical foie gras production involves force-feeding birds more food than they would eat in the wild, and much more than they would voluntarily eat domestically. The feed, usually corn boiled with fat (to facilitate ingestion), deposits large amounts of fat in the liver, thereby producing the buttery consistency sought by the gastronome. For other uses, see FAT. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... Gastronomy is the study of relationship between culture and food. ...

Physiology and preparation

The geese and ducks used in foie gras production are, generally, Toulouse geese, and sterile hybrid ducks—Cairina moschata drakes crossed with female domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). Geese and ducks are omnivorous, and, like many birds, have expansive throats allowing them to store large amounts of food, either whole or pre-digested, in the esophagus while awaiting digestion in the stomach. In the wild this dilation allows them to swallow large foodstuffs, such as a whole fish, for a later, long digestion. Wild geese may consume 300 grams of protein and another 800 grams of grasses per day. Farmed geese allowed to graze on carrots adapt to eat 100 grams of protein, but may consume up to 2500 grams of the carrots per day. A wild duck may double its weight in the autumn, storing fat throughout much of its body and especially on the liver, in preparation for winter migration.^[37] In contrast, force feeding produces a liver that is six to ten times its ordinary size.^[38] Storage of fat in the liver produces steatosis of the liver cells. Toulouse Geese Toulouse Geese (Latin Name Anser anser), as the name suggest originate from the area around Toulouse in Southwest France. ... Binomial name Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758) The Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata is a large perching duck. ... This article is about the Mallard duck. ... Omnivores are organisms that consume both plants and animals. ... The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ... Histological section of a murine liver showing severe steatosis. ...

The geese or ducks used in foie gras production are usually kept in a building on straw for the first four weeks, then kept outside for some weeks, feeding on grasses that toughen the esophagus.^[39] The birds are then brought inside for gradually longer periods while introduced to a high starch diet. The next feeding phase, which the French call gavage or finition d'engraissement, or "completion of fattening", involves forced daily ingestion of controlled amounts of feed for 12 to 15 days with ducks and for 15 to 18 days with geese. During this phase ducks are usually fed twice daily while geese are fed up to 4 times daily. The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ...

Fattening

In modern production, the bird is typically fed a controlled amount of feed, depending on the stage of the fattening process, its weight, and the amount of feed it last ingested.^[40] At the start of production, a bird might be fed a dry weight of 250 grams of food per day, and up to 1,000 grams (in dry weight) by the end of the process. The actual amount of food force-fed is much greater, since the birds are fed a mash whose composition is about 53% dry and 47% liquid (by weight).^[41]

The feed is administered using a funnel fitted with a long tube (20–30 cm long), which forces the feed into the animal's oesophagus; if an auger is used, the feeding takes about 45 to 60 seconds. Modern systems usually use a tube fed by a pneumatic pump;^[42] with such a system the operation time per duck takes about 2 to 3 seconds. During feeding, efforts are made to avoid damaging the bird's esophagus, which could cause injury or death.

While force feeding is required to meet the French legal definition of "foie gras", producers outside of France do not always force feed birds in order to produce what they consider to be foie gras. Award-winning Spanish producer Patería de Sousa produces foie gras by taking advantage of the natural instinct of geese to fatten their own livers in preparation for migration.^[43]

Preparations of foie gras

Generally, French preparations of foie gras are over low heat, as fat melts faster from the traditional goose foie gras than the duck foie gras produced in most other parts of the world. American and other New World preparations, typically employing duck foie gras, have more recipes and dish preparations for serving that foie gras hot, rather than cool or cold.

The recent (in French culinary tradition) introduction of duck foie gras has resulted in some recipes returning to France from America. In Hungary, goose foie gras traditionally is fried in goose fat, which is then poured over the foie gras and left to cool; it also is eaten warm, after being fried or roasted, with some chefs smoking the foie gras over a cherry wood fire.

In other parts of the world foie gras is served in exotic dishes such as foie gras sushi rolls, in various forms of pasta or alongside steak tartare or atop a steak as a garnish. This article is about Japanese cuisine. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Steak tartare with egg, capers and onions Steak tartare is a meat dish made from finely chopped or ground raw beef. ... A steak (from Old Norse steik, roast) is a slice from a larger piece of meat, typically beef. ...

Cold preparations of foie gras

Traditional low-heat cooking methods result in terrines, pâtés, parfaits, foams and mousses of foie gras, often flavored with truffle, mushrooms or brandy such as Cognac or Armagnac. These slow-cooked forms of foie gras are cooled and served at or below room temperature.

In a very traditional form of terrine, au torchon ("in a towel"), a whole lobe of foie is molded, wrapped in a towel and slow-cooked in a bain Marie. Bain-marie or Marys bath is a method utilised in industry (phamaceutical, cosmetics, conserves, etc. ...

Raw foie gras is also cured in salt ("cru au sel"), served slightly chilled.^[44]

Given the high fatty content, foie gras can be converted into a savory ice cream, typically crusted with coarse salt.

Hot preparations of foie gras

Given the increased internationalization of cuisines and food supply, foie gras is increasingly found in hot preparations not only in the United States, but in France and elsewhere. Duck foie gras ("foie gras de canard") has slightly lower fat content and is generally more suitable in texture to cooking at high temperature than is goose foie gras ("foie gras d'oie"), but chefs have been able to cook goose foie gras employing similar techniques developed for duck, albeit with more care.

Raw foie gras can be roasted, sauteed, pan-seared (poëllé) or (with care and attention), grilled. As foie gras has high fat content, contact with heat needs to be brief and therefore at high temperature, lest it burn or melt. Optimal structural integrity for searing requires the foie gras to be cut to a thickness between 15 and 25 mm, resulting in a rare, uncooked center. Some chefs prefer not to devein the foie gras, as the veins can help preserve the integrity of the fatty liver. It is increasingly common to sear the foie gras on one side only, leaving the other side uncooked. Practitioners of molecular gastronomy such as Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck restaurant first flash-freeze foie gras in liquid nitrogen, with the searing process resulting in a piece at room temperature. Molecular gastronomy is the application of science to culinary practice and more generally gastronomical phenomena. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Fat Duck. ... The Fat Duck is a restaurant run by chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, England. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ...

Hot foie gras requires minimal spices; typically black pepper, paprika (in Hungary) and salt. It has become fashionable in 3-star restaurants to use artisanal coarse salt to provide a visual and textural garnish.

Accompaniments to foie gras

Foie gras may be flavored with truffles or liquors such as Armagnac, or liqueurs such as Cointreau or prunes. Species Tuber melanosporum Tuber brumale Tuber aestivum Tuber uncinatum Tuber mesentericum Tuber magnatum Truffle describes a group of edible mycorrhizal (symbiotic relationship between fungus and plant) fungi (genus Tuber, class Ascomycetes, division Ascomycota). ... 1956 Armagnac Armagnac (IPA [aʁmaɲak]), the region of France, has given its name to its distinctive kind of brandy or eau de vie, made of the same grapes as Cognac and undergoing the same aging in oak barrels, but with column still distillation (Cognac is distilled in pot... Cointreau is an orange-flavored liqueur similar to triple sec and to Grand Marnier. ... Prune has several meanings: A dried plum. ...

Most presentations of foie gras match it to a sweet fruit, including quince, pears, apples, prunes, plums, cherries, raspberries, blackcurrants, huckleberries, figs or elderberries. These can be in the form of sauces, coulis, jam, stewed, caramelized or pureed. Binomial name Mill. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the fruit. ... This article is about the fruit. ... Species See text. ... For other uses, see Cherry (disambiguation). ... Cultivated raspberries The raspberry (plural, raspberries) is the edible fruit of a number of species of the genus Rubus. ... Binomial name L. The Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia. ... Wild huckleberry in the Mount Hood National Forest. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... Species See text Elder or Elderberry (Sambucus) is a genus of between 5–30 species of shrubs or small trees (two species herbaceous), formerly treated in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, but now shown by genetic evidence to be correctly classified in the moschatel family Adoxaceae. ...

Chefs have been experimenting with various other contrasting and strong, supporting savory flavors, ranging from red beets to onion chutneys to sweet corn and peas to various mushrooms including morels or cepes to bittersweet chocolate moles. The word savory has a number of meanings: Savory for the herb used in some traditional Thanksgiving stuffings. ... Species Morchella angusticeps Morchella conica Morchella costata Morchella crassipes Morchella elata Morchella esculenta Morchella gigas Morchella semilibera Morchella spongiola Morchella spongiola var. ... Peruvian Center for Social Studies / Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales Founded in 1976, CEPES is a civil society organisation specialising in rural development. ... Look up mole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Sauces include onion or leek-based sauces, red wine or fortified red wine reductions, truffle and mushroom sauces or wasabi drizzles. For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Leek (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... Species Tuber melanosporum Tuber brumale Tuber aestivum Tuber uncinatum Tuber mesentericum Tuber magnatum Truffle describes a group of edible mycorrhizal (symbiotic relationship between fungus and plant) fungi (genus Tuber, class Ascomycetes, division Ascomycota). ... For other uses, see Mushroom (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Sauce (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Matsum. ...

It is commonly served accompanied with crusty or toasted bread such as a brioche, or, more rustically, toasted baguette ends. Brioche Brioche des Rois (served around Epiphany, esp. ... A baguette (French for little stick) is a variety of bread distinguishable by its much greater length than width, and noted for its very crispy crust. ...

Wine matching is traditionally a late-harvest, Botrytised dessert wine such as Sauternes or Tokay or new-world late harvest wine, as the rich, sweet flavours go well together; classic wine and food matching. Some diners prefer foie gras with a spicy white wine, such as a Gewurtztraminer from Alsace. When foie gras is served with stronger sauces such as port-wine reductions or bitter chocolate sauces, a fortified wine such as Port or Banyuls is in order. Other dessert wines can match foie gras, including Jurançon wines from Béarn, or a Muscat grape such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, or an ice wine, ice cider, or sweet Champagne wines. Dessert wines are those wines which are typically served with dessert, although they are also drunk on their own, i. ... Sauternes is a commune of the Gironde département in France. ... Tokay has several meanings: Originally, it was the Anglicized name for the famed wines of the Tokaj region in Hungary and Slovakia. ... Wine is very often consumed with food, and there is a long history of suggestions about which wines go best with which foods. ... Gewürztraminer grapes on the vine Gewürztraminer (IPA: , sounds like guh-VOORTS-truh-MEE-ner; IPA: in German; Croatian: ; Hungarian: ), sometimes referred to as Gewürz or Traminer, is a white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. ... (New region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Statistics Land area1 8,280 km² (??? mi) km² Population (Ranked 14th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... For other uses, see Port (disambiguation). ... Banyuls vine on shale Banyuls (Appellation dOrigine Contrôlée) is a fortified aperitif or dessert wine made from old vines cultivated in terraces on the slopes of the Pyrenees in the Roussillon wine region of Southern France, which borders Catalunya in Spain. ... Jurançon is a wine region in South West France in the foothills of the Pyrenees. ... Coat of arms of the viscounts of Béarn. ... For other uses, see Muscat (disambiguation). ... Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is a wine-growing AOC in the southern Rhône wine region of France. ... Grapes for ice wine, still frozen on the vine. ... Ice Cider, (French “cidre de glace”), is the cider equivalent of ice wine. ... Champagne is often consumed as part of a celebration Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of wine to effect carbonation. ...

Accompaniments may include caramelized onions, onion jam, cornichons and Sauternes jelly. For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... Jam from berries Jam (also known as jelly or preserves) is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with fruits or sometimes vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin if the fruits natural pectin content is insufficient to produce a thick product. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Cucumis anguria. ... Sauternes is a commune of the Gironde département in France. ...

Consumption

Foie gras is a luxury dish. Many in France only consume foie gras on special occasions, such as Christmas or New Year's Eve réveillon dinners, though the recent increased availability of foie gras has made it a less exceptional dish. In some areas of France foie gras is eaten year-round. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... In France and some other French-speaking countries, a réveillon is a long dinner, and possibly party, held on the evenings preceding Christmas Day and New Years Day. ...

Duck foie gras is the cheaper and, since a change of production methods in the 1950s, by far the most common kind. The taste of duck foie gras is often referred to as musky with a subtle bitterness. Goose foie gras is noted for being less gamey and smoother.

Research has suggested foie gras consumption "may be linked to the onset of diseases including Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis."^[45]

Controversy

Main article: Foie gras controversy

See also Force-feeding of animals

Animal rights and welfare groups such as PETA,^[46] Farm Sanctuary^[47] and the Humane Society of the United States^[48] contend that foie gras production methods, and force feeding in particular, constitute cruel and inhumane treatment of animals. Specific complaints include livers swollen to many times their normal size, impaired liver function, expansion of the abdomen making it difficult for birds to walk, death if the force feeding is continued, and scarring of the esophagus. PETA claims that the insertion and removal of the feeding tube scratch the throat and the esophagus, causing irritations and wounds and thus exposing the animal to risk of mortal infections. The controversial production of foie gras (the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened) involves force-feeding birds more food than they would eat in the wild, and much more than they would voluntarily eat domestically. ... Force-feeding is the practice of feeding someone against his or her will. ... Peta can refer to: Peta (prefix), a prefix meaning times 1015 in the International System of Units People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal-rights organization People Eating Tasty Animals, a parody of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Peta, Greece, a town in the prefecture... Farm Sanctuarys shelter in upstate New York. ... HSUS logo The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a Washington, D.C-based animal welfare advocacy group. ... Peta can refer to: Peta (prefix), a prefix meaning times 1015 in the International System of Units People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal-rights organization People Eating Tasty Animals, a parody of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Peta, Greece, a town in the prefecture...

In June 2007, a research showed a possible link between foie gras and Amyloidosis-related disorders (including Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, type II diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis).^[49] Transgenic mice with predisposition to amyloidosis were either fed or injected with amyloid protein extracted from commercial foie gras. Animals in both groups displayed "extensive systemic pathological (amyloid) deposits". After cooking the foie gras per manufacturer specification, mice injected with its extracted amyloid showed reduced but still noticeable effect. The authors conclude that exposure to serum amyloid A in foie gras is the likely cause, and suggest it could be a contributing factor of certain diseases in a susceptible population. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a very rare and incurable degenerative neurological disorder (brain disease) that is ultimately fatal. ... See diabetes mellitus for further general information on diabetes. ... Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. ... Amyloid describes various types of protein aggregations that share specific traits when examined microscopically. ... Serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins are a family of apolipoproteins associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in plasma. ...

Notes

“PDF” redirects here. ... “PDF” redirects here. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “PDF” redirects here. ... “PDF” redirects here. ... The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), mostly commonly referred to as PNAS, is the official publication of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Foie gras

• What is Foie Gras?
• Scientific Studies
  • Report of the EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on Welfare Aspects of the Production of Foie Gras in Ducks and GeesePDF
• First person
  • An American food and wine blogger goes inside the gavage shed at a foie gras farm in the Dordogne (Perigord), with pictures
  • An American chef interns on a foie gras farm
• About preparation:
  • A cookbook review of Foie Gras... a Passion
  • Foie Gras FAQ: The Liver Everyone Loves