dude, I know chefs. I've been told this. I'll quote you one in fact:

(click here)

"Last night, on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Holiday Special, we got a mixed bag: part educational, part foodie fantasy land, and part goofy, indulgent "cool guy" time-filler. This is to be expected, but also, as usual, the educational and the fantasy parts overlapped, and made up for the random stuff.

In particular, we were very pleased to see the force-feeding of ducks at Hudson Valley Foie Gras, where Bourdain chatted with a veterinarian who explained why it is perfectly un-cruel to eat their delicious, fatty livers. The birds don't choke when the tubes are inserted down their throats, because their windpipes are not obstructed, as ours would be. Also, he said that storing fat in the liver is normal for these guys, not a disease, as animal rights groups claim. "

In the US, foie gras is done differently than the tradition as found still in Paris, a sort of culinary capital of the world. And I would further argue that the cruelty is also based on how these animals are housed - tiny cages for their whole lives.

Foie gras is reprehensible.

Foie gras is reprehensible.

Ummm no, duck eggs. The whole thing, not just the liver. There is no feeding (it's an embryo). And no electrocution. And from what I can tell, probably not much liver either.

I'm a huge fan of foie gras.

It's Duck Liver (not baby, though) and they force feed it throughout it's whole life, to the point where it's completely engorged. Then - for maximum tastiness - the electrocute it at death. This causes the liver (pate) to be full of fat, which is what you see below.


Yeah, great stuff.


It's a delicacy for the wealthiest, it seems, and it makes me think of David Cross talking about the time he took his girlfriend to a fancy dinner. It was $800 for the two and dessert was a mountain of chocolate covered in 14 k gold shavings. His take on it was, "there - see that poor people? I just ate gold. And in a minute, I'm gonna shit gold. How do you like that?" Pretty funny....I should find the quote....

It's Duck Liver (not baby, though) and they force feed it throughout it's whole life, to the point where it's completely engorged. Then - for maximum tastiness - the electrocute it at death. This causes the liver (pate) to be full of fat, which is what you see below.

Duck.

Ah, I see from the URLs that that's a jackfruit. I was about to ask if it was a durian. I've heard that's pretty darn stinky.

This one?

The Filipinos seem to have a knack.

They produce that fruit that made the GROSS FOODS guy throw up.

That big, prickly pungent abomination.
I've tried a piece.



You do NOT get rid of the smell.

Another Filipino entry,

K, so it's definitely not a delicacy, but it's very gross and it's the only thing my belly wants after a few too many boozes:

the double-cheeseburger from McDonald's.

I go away, and feel shame.

We are off to the land of foie gras (Perigord) on Friday. Don't shoot the messenger though- I'm a veggie.

Ick! That's a baby something!!!!

Foie Gras. Its reprehensible and looks icky:

Balut, a Filipino delicacy.

I will eat your Cobb salad gladly, and your sushi with or without tofu, either way. I have partaken of the shellfish and flesh of the cloven-footed and other trayf delights. I will wave wild mushrooms under your noses and laugh.

Just no SPAM® please!