Foie gras a food product that is made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage (force-feeding corn) ,according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding. A pastry containing paté de foie gras tout court, was formerly known as “Strasbourg pie” (or “Strasburg pie” ) in English on account of that city`s being a major producer of foie gras.
Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike an ordinary duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is prepared into mousse, parfait, or paté (the lowest quality), and may also be serve as an accompaniment to another food item, such as steak. French law states that “Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France.”
The technique of gavage dates back as far as 2500 BC, when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding. Today, France is by far the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations, the United States, and China.
The Physiological basis of foie gras production is migratory birds` capacity for weight gain, particularly in the liver, in preparation for migration. Toulouse geese and Mulard ducks are a cross breed between a male Muscovy Duck and a female Pekin duck, and are estimated to account for about 35% of all ducks consumed in the US. Typical foie gras production involves force-feeding birds more food than they would eat in the wild, and much more than they would voluntarily eat domestically. The feed, usually corn boiled with fat (to facilitate ingestion ), deposits large amounts large amounts of fat in the liver, thereby producing the buttery consistency sought by the gastronome.
Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial, due to the force feeding procedure used. A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras.
鵝肝醬與魚子醬、松露并列為“世界三大珍饈”。作為美食大國法國的著名料理，征服了世人的味覺。嘗過它的人，都會情不自禁愛上它。然而，這種從過分喂飼鵝身上取肝的方式是對鵝的殘忍虐待，因此環(huán)保組織發(fā)起拒吃鵝肝醬的運動。盡管這種抗議從未停止過，但無可爭議的是，它的確是一種少有的美味。
鵝肝醬的歷史
As early as 2005 BC, the ancient Egyptians learned that many birds could be fattened through forced overfeeding and began this practice. Whether they particularly sought the fattened livers of migratory birds as a delicacy remains undetermined? In the necropolis of Saqqara, in the tomb of Mereruka, an important royal official, there is a bas relief scene wherein workers grasp geese around the necks in order to push food down their throats. At the side stand tables piled with more food pellets, and a flask for moistening the feed before giving it to the geese.
After the fall of the Roman empire, goose liver temporarily vanished from European cuisine. Some people claim that Gallic farmers preserved the foie gras tradition until the rest of Europe rediscovered it centuries later, but the medieval French peasant`s food animals were mainly pig rediscovered it centuries later, but the medieval French preserved by the Jews, who learned the method of enlarging a goose`s liver during the Roman colonization of Judea or earlier from Egyptians. The Jews carried this culinary knowledge as they migrated farther north and west to Europe.
A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras due to how it is traditionally produced. In modern gavage-based foie gras production, force-feeding takes place 12-18 days before slaughter. The duck or goose is typically fed with a controlled amount of corn mash through a tube inserted in the animal`s cuticle-lined esophagus.
Foie gras production has been banned in some nations because of the force-feeding process, including some members of the European Union, Turkey, and Israel. Foie gras producers ,maintain that force feeding ducks and geese is not uncomfortable for the animals. Nor is it hazardous to their health.
如此美味的鵝肝醬一度瀕臨失傳，幸而終在法國發(fā)揚光大。由于鵝肝成本高昂，因此人們一般通常只會在大節(jié)日（例如圣誕或新年）才享用鵝肝醬，并且鵝肝醬不耐保存，極易被霉菌侵蝕，所以大多數鵝肝醬中含有大量鵝油以防止變質。
Something about Foie gras 關于鵝肝醬的一些談論
Foie Gras is a recipe based on the fatty liver of a goose or duck.
鵝肝醬是一道用鵝或者鴨肥胖的肝臟制成的美食。
Many people are concerned about the use of force-feeding in the production of foie gras.
許多人對“填鴨式”喂養(yǎng)的鵝生產鵝肝醬的行為表示擔心。
The delicate goose-liver pate, pate de foie gras, was invented by Jean Pierre Clause in Strasbourg, France around 1778.
美味的鵝肝醬餡餅是讓·皮埃爾·克勞斯1778年左右在法國的斯特拉斯堡發(fā)明的。
Foie gras is from the liver of a force-fed duck or goose. It is a practice that animal protection groups say is cruel.
鵝肝是來自于那些被填鴨式喂養(yǎng)的鴨子或鵝身上獲取的。這種行為被動物保護組織指稱為殘忍的行為。
Confined to wire isolation cages by the gras industry, these ducks are suspended above a pit their own feces.
這些鴨子被關在“鵝肝”業(yè)特制的隔離籠中，身下是它們的糞便坑。
Only the highest quality of caviar, foie gras, tuna, prime Matsuzaka sirloin and golden live lobster, cooked with rose salt`s rock and superior olive oil makes Moonsha Teppanyaki a unique dining experience.
