In Defense of Foie Gras

Slicing foie gras torchon

(Since we are showing delicious tasty bits with foie gras this week, I thought I would repost this article form 2010. Much more detail is covered in my recent book, Eating Well, Living Better. The data has not changed and neither has my opinion!)

I am not here to apologize for foie gras. I am not here to defend the fact that I find the fatty duck or goose liver delicious in its myriad forms of presentation. I am here because I think it has been demonized. For the full discourse I suggest you read Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Jennifer McLagan (excellent book). Like the self assured incredibly attractive woman who is labeled a Bitch because she is simply a self assured incredibly attractive woman, foie gras is the victim of its own provocative tastiness. As Jack Webb used to preach, let us examine the facts, just the facts.

• Foie gras is natural fat. What do I mean by “natural fat”? I mean that it does not contain things like trans-fats (TFA). Many people are unaware that trans-fats are a class of compounds principally created by man primarily to unnaturally extend the shelf life of fat containing products (pure natural TFAs exist only in trace amounts in meat and dairy, mostly as vaccenyl acid). While TFAs are unsaturated fats, they are associated with increases in LDLs (“bad cholesterol”) and lowering of HDLs (“good cholesterol”) and they are most definitely not essential. Nature put an expiration date on things for a reason.
• Some fat is necessary. Want to know why old people look old? In addition to the breakdown of elastin and collagen as we age we thin and lose the layer of subcutaneous fat under our skin. That little layer of fat keeps us looking young. More importantly, fat is used as:
  • An energy source
  • A transport for fat-soluble necessary vitamins such as A,D, E and K
  • A source of raw materials that are used in maintaining normal healthy cellular function
  • An essential starting block for hormone production
  • And several fatty acids (fats) are considered essential, meaning we can not exist healthfully-or at all-without them.
• Food cooked in natural fat-taste it, ‘nuff said.
• Foie gras has been around since at least 3000BC in ancient Egypt. The geese there naturally fatten their livers in preparation for their annual migratory journey.
• In the original “French Paradox” study (Dr. Serge Renaud, 1991) the area within France with the lowest cardiovascular mortality and highest life expectancy was Toulouse in the Gascony region. In Toulouse they consume insane amounts of foie gras several times a week. In the study the U.S. the rate of death for middle aged men from heart attack at that time was 315/100,000, in France 145/100,000, in Toulouse it was 80/100,000.
• Roughly 65% of foie gras is unsaturated oleic acid, the same oil that constitutes 60-80% of olive oil. It also contains omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids. To quote Dr. Renaud, “Goose and duck fat is closer in chemical composition to olive oil than it is to butter or lard.”
• A native of Gascony, Robert Jacquerez, who lived into his late 90’s remarked that balance is the key. “Always have a salad with your cassoulet, bread with your foie gras,” he said. “Always drink as much mineral water as wine.”
• Treat foie gras for what it is; a rare and delicious delicacy to be savored.

So don’t be a Foie Hater just because she is beautiful and tasty. Give her a chance, and with all due apology to John Lennon:

Ev’rybody’s talkin’ ’bout Food Revolution,  Food Evolution, Mastication, Dietary Flagellation, FDA Regulation, Integrations, medications, Food Nations, vegetations All we are saying is give foie a chance All we are saying is give foie a chance.

*Whenever using an ingredient like foie gras, it is extremely important to procure reliable, high quality product.