What is Foie Gras?

Foie gras (literally meaning fat liver) is one of the delicacies of France. It is the result of the force-feeding of geese and ducks to enlarge their liver.

Raw foie gras Vacuum packed foie gras	Raw foie gras It is sold vacuum packed and must be kept at a temperature between 3°C and 5°C. It should have a beautiful color, beige ivory or yellow according to the feeding of the ducks. It must be firm, but flexible, when you touch it. Grades of Foie Gras Foie Gras grade A is the top grade of foie gras. It is silky smooth and buttery and will melt in your mouth when sautéed. Foie Gras grade B is softer, darker, and has slight imperfections. It can be sautéed, and is also good to use for terrines. Foie Gras grade C is meatier and sometimes smaller. It is good for mousse, stuffing and sauces. Raw foie gras must be cooked before consumption. Have a look at Chef Eric's recipes at the end of this article.
Terrine of foie gras	Fresh foie gras It is a cooked foie gras, ready for consumption. It is usually sold in a terrine. It can be kept at the most for a week in the refrigerator.
Semi-preserved foie gras	Semi-cooked (or semi- preserved) pasteurized foie gras It is pasteurized and is generally presented in glass jars or is vacuum packed. This foie gras is ready to be eaten. The shelf-life is six months in the refrigerator between +3 and +5°C.
Preserved foie gras	Preserved foie gras Generally in glass jar, it is sterilized and has four years of shelf life in ambient air. It is recommended that you put it in the refrigerator before consumption. Like wine, foie gras has the reputation to get better with time.

Learn to Read the Labels

Whole foie gras

Or "foie gras entier" in French, indicates the preparations containing a whole foie gras or pieces of lobes. It is of better quality than the block of foie gras.

Block of foie gras

Or “bloc de foie gras” in French, is made of reconstituted foie gras, pieces of foie gras are worked together and amalgamated to give a foie gras which is of a smooth and regular consistency. The block of foie gras can include pieces; in this case there is a mention on the label “with pieces" .The block of foie gras is the one you would typically use to serve on toasts.

Parfait of foie gras

Contains a minimum of 75% of foie gras, completed by various meat and fat.

Mousse of foie gras

Contains a minimum of 50% of foie gras, completed by various meat and fat.

History of Foie Gras

The Egyptians were the first ones to take pleasure in the taste of geese livers. Before starting their migration towards some better lands, the geese were naturally overfeeding themselves. Some of them who were resting on the banks of the Nile River got killed. Discovering the taste of the liver, Egyptians decided to breed the geese.

However, it was the Romans who started to force-feed the geese. At the time, they used figs. Nowadays, the birds are fed with corn.

During the Middle Ages, it was reserved for the poor peasants/p>

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