Recently we spoke with Eli Cairo of Olympia Provisions about humanly raising sustainable pork, and how the quality of life of his pigs is the top ingredient in his recipe for the best, world-renowned charcuterie products ("Best American Charcuterie" Award, Bon Appetit, "Cutting Edge Butcher Shop" Award, Food & Wine, Sofi Award, Specialty Food Association). It made us curious, and we wanted to look into what other industrial agricultural products are similarly making such a change to more sustainable practices. That led us to foie gras - one of the most misaligned foods of the day, and yet one of the oldest forms of industrial agriculture.
What is Foie Gras?
Typically served as a pâté or grilled whole and sliced, foie gras - which translates to “fatty liver” - is, in the simplest terms, enhanced duck or goose liver. Traditionally served with breads and crostinis (to spread the pate or place the liver slice on), jams and fruits, it is a traditional addition to many holiday charcuterie boards, as well as a decadent addition or appetizer in many of the finest establishments.
To the history of foie gras is naturally a lesson in the history and beginnings of industrial agriculture. In ancient Egypt along the Nile, the people (Jewish slaves) would harvest wild geese in the fall - plump and fatty, the birds naturally gorge themselves for migration and winter. It is rumored the Pharos, after hearing of and trying the delectable liver from these geese, loved it so much that he demanded the dish year round. Soon the geese were domesticated, and as depicted on tomb walls as early as 2500BC, force fed to retain their plumpness for year round harvesting - the first depiction we have of gavage.
Quickly the practice of gavage spread across the land. From mentions of geese being fed wet wheat in Homer’s The Odyssey, to Pliny the Elder’s Natural History crediting a gourmand of the time with the technique, the practice of gavage and the delicacy of the unctuous dish obviously captured the hearts of ancient foodies around the world. The Romans, known at the time for their culinary sophistication, went even further with the raising of their flocks, and would feed the birds figs and herbs to enhance the flavor and texture of the liver. They spread the recipe for foie gras wherever they conquered, and the dish dug its roots deep into early European cultures.
With the rise of Christianity in medieval times, rich foods such as liver were shunned as gluttony (one of the seven deadly sins), and the production of foie gras was limited primarily to European Jewish communities, who due to their own religious rules, shunned cooking with butter. These communities used the fat from the geese for cooking, lighting and for healing salves, and had kept the practice of gavage alive.
As time went on, the production of liver across Europe began to evolve as nobles and aristocrats alike were falling in love with the luxurious delicacy. By the 1500’s and especially in France, the practice of force fattening poultry had taken hold, with different gavage techniques and bird feed recipes jealously guarded between nobles’ estates. The French still remain the largest producers (and consumers) of foie gras, with Southwestern France producing 70-80% of the world's supply today. There are popular "marchés au Foie Gras" - Foie gras markets - in the Aquitaine region of France which give consumers the opportunity to learn from and meet the producers.
Though foie gras was introduced to America in the late 19th century by inspired Americans coming home from Europe, production in the US did not start until 1985 - at Hudson Valley Farms, one of the leading suppliers of foie gras in the country even today. With the rise of mass production in recent times, farms struggled to keep up with the demand for this luxe item, and a need for more ducks (as time went on, the use of geese fell dramatically, and ducks were the preferred bird of choice) to be fatter, more quickly, led to the industrialized gavage system that we primarily see in the news and media today. With animal welfare activism on the rise and concern for the environmental detriment of the large factories, foie gras has undoubtedly fallen out of popularity around the world. Several countries and some parts of the US have banned the production, and even sale, of the product.
Recently however, there has been a rise in awareness of sustainable practices when it comes to foie gras and the care of the animals (much like in our talk with Eli). In a Ted Talk from ‘08, renown NYC chef Dan Barber discusses his visit to Spain and his meeting of farmer Eduardo Sousa - a 4th generation farmer whose family has raised geese ethically for foie gras for over a century. From letting the geese roam free among his fig and olive orchards, to the continuation of his flocks by letting the geese breed naturally with their more wild brethren, Eduardo cares deeply for his land and his flock. He even won the prestigious French Coup de Coeur for his foie gras (a coveted French gastronomic prize) in 2007 - much to many French gastromes distress- proving that sustainable techniques that care for the environment and creatures in our care, can produce some of the top quality products.
All it takes is a simple search in Google to see how many new, and even established farms such as La Pateria de Sousa, around the world are adapting to the need for a humanly raised foie gras, and food in general.
There are several companies working on an ethical version of foie gras, and there are three (or four) main ways they are doing it:
Free-Range Geese and Ducks on a Special Diet: (Also Seasonal)
Acorns from 100 year old Holm Oaks are a high calorie diet that free-range geese can only get at a certain time of year (Oct - Jan). This is the completely natural way to add fat to the meat and livers of geese, in a way that doesn’t require force feeding and also doesn’t result in the uncomfortable swelling of the liver itself.
During this time of year when the acorns fall, the bird’s natural instinct to fatten up in preparation for winter kicks in and replaces the need for anything resembling gavage.
Combined Liver Foie Gras
The least ethical of the three but still an improvement is the process of combining actual foie gras with other livers from a different animal to reduce the amount of foie gras produced (hopefully without substantially affecting the flavor).
They can be finely ground, blended or layered in a terrine before cooking, there are rules about what percentage needs to be actual foie gras to get the name, and is commonly combined with duck, chicken, pork or beef.
Lab Made Foie Gras.
Australian company Vow, apparently went through more than 450 iterations to finally perfect their lab created foie gras that was released recently in 2024. Using cultured animal cells that are grown in a lab, and my favorite phrase I’ve read in a while: “grown without the requirement of an actual duck or goose”. Lol
Unfortunately most of the companies making moves in this space are outside the United States, and with our impending new administration on its way to run the FDA, there may be serious roadblocks to selling Lab Made Foie Gras in the U.S. anytime soon.
Will this delectable delicacy make a comeback, even with the humane practices? Let us know what you think!
