Foie gras is not a menu item, either at home or dining out, that’s on the tip of American’s palates.  Yet leave our shores for France and the delicacy becomes as common as hamburgers and French fries here.

Foie gras is a food product derived from the liver of a specially fattened duck or goose.  Fattening, by French law, is accomplished through forced feeding with corn.  The feed results in high fat deposits in the liver, enlarging the liver by six to ten times its normal size and giving it its rich and creamy texture.  This custom dates back to 2500 BC when Egyptians fattened birds through forced feeding.  The delicacy results in a uniquely creamy, rich and buttery product that differs from classic duck or goose liver.  Hungry also produces its own version of foie gras.

In France, foie gras exists in three different, legally defined, forms ranging from the inexpensive (bloc de foie gras) to the moderate (foie gras) to the very expensive (foie gras entire).  In the United States, raw foie gras is classified as Grade A, B, or C with A containing the highest percentage of fat.  Foie gras is often flavored with truffles, prunes, or liquors such as Cointreau or Armagnac and pair well with fruit sauces of fig,quince, apples, pears, and berries.  Reduction sauces of red wine or sauces of truffles and wasabi are great pairing agents.  The delicacy is often an accompaniment to filet mignon, duck and shrimp dishes.