Foie Gras
"Foie Gras" is the "fatted" liver of a duck or goose. If you do an internet search for this term, you are likely to find many sites proclaiming the ducks are treated inhumanely in the production of this controversial delicacy. It is indeed a hot topic of debate between those who swoon over the stuff and the animal rights activists.
I have only eaten foie gras once in my entire life and that was just last year, when I brought some back from a trip to the French side of Sint Martin. Ashamedly, you can count me among the swooners. Never before or since have I tasted anything as sinfully rich, buttery, or delicately flavorful! In fact, if I had deeper pockets, I'd eat it as often as possible; especially since recent legislation may make it almost impossible to get legally in a few years.
The November 2004, issue of Rosengarten Report, has a feature article about foie gras. While researching the subject for the article, David Rosengarten visited a foie gras farm in France. He writes, "...the ducks in their free-range pen ran-I mean as fast as their little webs could carry them- towards the feeder who had entered the pen....They bumped and pushed each other, trying to get more quickly to the woman with her feed tube and bowl of corn..."
In many countries, influential animal rights activists have gained the ears of lawmakers. Effective, April 1st, 2005, the production of foie gras ceased in Israel. Israel had been the world's fourth largest producer. Hungarian legislation gave the industry 15 years to find an alternative to force-feeding the animals. If no alternatives are found during that time, it's production will also stop. Hungary happens to be the worlds second-largest producer of foie gras. Believe it or not, the French government has also issued the same mandate!
The United States has a few notable foie gras producers. One of them is located in the Sonoma Valley, another in the Hudson River Valley. They both produce gastronomic wonders. However, if you're hankering to try their wares you'd better take advantage of the opportunity while you can. In Septemper of 2004, the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) signed a bill that is intended to ban the production and sale of foie gras in California. There may not be gold in them thar hills of California much longer!