Ethical Fois Gras

Mr Magnolia

Anyone watching The F word last night?

Janet Street-Porter visited 2 Fois Gras Farms, one where the geese were force fed (France) and one where they roamed about meadows gorging themselves naturally on berries and nuts etc. (they were preparing themselves for the migration that they'd never make).

I've eaten both traditional and ethical Fois Gras and to be honest can find little or no difference, Ramsey tasted both and said the traditional one tasted smoother and had a nicer buttery texture, I think this was due to the preparation, the 2 appeared considerably different though we only got a glance. I thought the ethical FG was every bit as smooth as the traditional though I wasn't comparing them straight after one and other.

I would be happy to eat the Ethical Fois Gras, though I'm not comfortable with the force-feeding it wouldn't put me off eating it. I knew about how the Geese were fattened before The F Word last night and it never put me off ordering or buying.

Do many of you like it and avoid it due to the cruel force feeding?

r3nu4l

I did eat it once and thought it was pleasant but not something I'd order every time. Then I discovered the force-feeding aspect and have never touched it since.

I eat meat, fish and eggs and have no problem but I do draw the line at force feeding animals so an ethical version sounds like a good idea, although I imagine it would be a lot more expensive

olaola

I ADORE fois gras... I'm afraid the force feeding wouldn't put me off at all!
It is defo one of my favourite flavours.
I've never tried the 'ethical' kind before. Where did you get it?

RE*AC*TOR

I love Fois Gras. Not off-put (enough) by how its created. I would certainly try the ethical variety if made available to me.

shrapnel222

i love the stuff too, and would gladly eat ethical if it were as good, but as said i would imagine it would be a lot more expensive as the size of the liver must be a LOT smaller. Either way, i certainly won't stop eating it.
It's interesting to see how different people react to different inhumanities. I for one have stopped eating battery farmed chicken and only eat free range, other people avoid tuna due to the large numbers of dolphins being killed etc... Are we all hypocrites to some extent? most certainly:D

Mr Magnolia

olaola wrote:

I've never tried the 'ethical' kind before. Where did you get it?

Barcelona, had it in a few Tapas bars then picked up a few jars of it on the way home MMMmmmm, all gone now though .

Haven't seen it in Ireland, that was going to be my next question. I still eat the traditional Fois Gras, battery farmed chickens (don't think there's a significant differance to the free range TBH). The only reason I'd go for free-range-eggs or non-farmed salmon etc is cause they taste better.

shrapnel222

huge difference in taste between battery farmed chicken and free range. same with the eggs, but it's also the conditions the chickens are kept in which are pretty humongous in my mind.

Schlemm

Same goes for pigs - there is a big difference in the taste of free range pork to factory farmed pork, and intensive pig farms are pretty tough places. Even if Gordon Ramsay stirs up loads of controversy, at least he's getting people to know where their meat is coming from. Some of the standards in today's farming, both in housing conditions and also breeding for increased production, are insane and really unnatural.

Capt'n Midnight

Schlemm wrote:

Some of the standards in today's farming, both in housing conditions and also breeding for increased production, are insane and really unnatural.

especially the one where you can take a shed full of chickens, just throw away the cages so they are still in the same shed with about one square foot each and call them free range.

dudara

I was very intrigued by the ethical foie gras, but was very amused by the fact that the free-range birds will stuff themselves full the to hilt naturally without any human intervention, at the right time of the year.

It made me think that the force-fed foie gras isn't entirely unnatural - in the sense that the birds will gorge themselves non-stop naturally anyway

Mr Magnolia

dudara wrote:

It made me think that the force-fed foie gras isn't entirely unnatural - in the sense that the birds will gorge themselves non-stop naturally anyway

Very good point, though the traditional Geese's liver was expanded/bloated a lot further than the 'ethical' type goose. Has anyone seen the ethical type fois gras available anywhere? I can't find anything on-line either, I probably need the brand name though

El Stuntman

god I love foie gras...

just back from the Perigord in France where they make the stuff - ate it nearly every day. I have a jar of it on my shelf just waiting for a special occasion (i.e. when no-one else is around and I can gorge myself sick on it )

to the 'but it's cruel' brigade, I say this:

- they live outdoors for most of their lives (I saw this) and have a pretty good time

- consider this; they wouldn't ever have lived if it wasn't for our delectation

- now shut up you goose-loving softies!!!