Foie Gras Process

[FastTalkingHighTrousers]

I heard a story on NPR last year that talked about a Spanish producer of Ganso Ibérico. Their process eliminates gavage entirely and depends instead on the natural tendency  of geese to gorge themselves silly prior to migration. I can't find a transcript of the story but if memory serves the product was well received. It can't be called Foi Gras (in France at least).

This also means that producers using this method get exactly one shot per year.

Schiltz Goose Farms is using this method as well here in the US.

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I appreciate the work being done at Pateria de Sousa and Schiltz Goose Farms. They are able to create a great product without employing the force feeding technique.

Neither product could be considered foie gras, IMO. Natural gorging prior to migration will produce a liver only a little more than twice the size of a noraml one. A nice lobe of foie is 5-10 times larger.

I think Schiltz even calls their product "natural fatty goose liver". They peg it as a "foie alternative".

I have had it before. It's quite tasty ... but foie gras, it is not.

If you are sqeamish abou the force feeding issue, you should try the product from Schiltz. You should also take a tour of the Hudson Valley FG farm as I did last year. It's an amazing place and you'll see no cruelty or any animals in obvious distress. To see that you should take a tour of any commercial chicken farm.