Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
French farmers fatten their geese to enlarge their livers, considered a delicacy.
They force-feed the geese four times a day. Then, when their livers grow from a
quarter-pound to two pounds, they slaughter them and eat the fattened liver, or foie
gras. The English travel in droves to France's Dordogne region to enjoy this gour-
met treat. Animal-rights activists worldwide object to the treatment of the geese,
and for a time, foie gras was actually illegal for restaurants to serve in Illinois. But
French farmers don't understand all the fuss. They tell me the tradition started
when their ancestors caught geese who had fattened up their own livers to make
the migratory trip to Egypt. They found them very tasty and decided to raise them,
help them fatten those livers, and spare them that long flight. They claim that geese
are designed to grow fat livers, and they pride themselves in creating fine living
conditions—as the quality of the foie gras depends on the quality of life the geese
lead, right up until the day they are slaughtered.
