piracer
Rookie
Ahh, so cynical, well I guess i wouldn't be surprised if thats your reaction towards foie gras, but you must understand, there is more then meets the eye. Posting here however, would probably provoke another argument with mala on what I'm saying is rubbish and what not. I assume your not vegetarian however, but if you are, well, good for you. But if you eat McDonalds, KFC, BK or your usual local chicken that you buy in a supermarket, i can assure you, production methods in raising those chickens is much more cruel and inhumane then foie gras production in the US.
Simply put, what looks like a painful process of a metallic/plastic tube down a ducks/goose throat is not the same as it would be down ours. These animals do not have a reflex gag, their throats are hardened and if you watch discovery channel or national geographic, you can often see ducks in the wild swallowing whole fish. The fact of the force feeding, it mimics the natural process of migration where the birds gorge on themselves, feeding as much as they can before taking their migratory flights. They can only do that because of the above. Yes, there is much more to it then just this, but lets not forget, the whole bird is used. The carcass is sold for making stock, the breast for magret, the legs and wings for confit, giblets, tongue, and feet usually go to Asian markets with the feathers being sold for down. Of course the liver is the biggest goal here, but trust me, everything is used, except for the quack. Let's not forget, foie gras is a luxury product, no one can deny that, and a bird that isn't raised well will not taste good. I can assure you, no fine dining restaurant will ever serve chicken or duck from any mass battery farmed establishment.
Simply put, what looks like a painful process of a metallic/plastic tube down a ducks/goose throat is not the same as it would be down ours. These animals do not have a reflex gag, their throats are hardened and if you watch discovery channel or national geographic, you can often see ducks in the wild swallowing whole fish. The fact of the force feeding, it mimics the natural process of migration where the birds gorge on themselves, feeding as much as they can before taking their migratory flights. They can only do that because of the above. Yes, there is much more to it then just this, but lets not forget, the whole bird is used. The carcass is sold for making stock, the breast for magret, the legs and wings for confit, giblets, tongue, and feet usually go to Asian markets with the feathers being sold for down. Of course the liver is the biggest goal here, but trust me, everything is used, except for the quack. Let's not forget, foie gras is a luxury product, no one can deny that, and a bird that isn't raised well will not taste good. I can assure you, no fine dining restaurant will ever serve chicken or duck from any mass battery farmed establishment.
