Californians Chowing Down On Foie Gras As Statewide Ban Begins This Weekend

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without fattened goose liver? No? Many Californians are facing that very prospect, as a statewide ban on foie gras goes into effect on Sunday. Apparently everyone there is going nuts and eating anything and everything made with the stuff, from jelly doughnuts to toffee.

The Wall Street Journal says business is booming at restaurants offering foie gras on their menus this week, as customers seek out the culinary delicacy and prepare to bid it adieu. Chefs are even planning foie gras finale parties on Saturday night to give it a proper sendoff.

“It’s a very difficult thing to say goodbye to,” says one restaurant co-owner and chef. He’s going to leave a gap in his menu in memory of the formerly offered dish.

Californians have had more than seven years to prepare for the foi gra-calypse, as lawmakers banned it in 2004 and set 2012 as the food’s final act.

Foie gras is made by force-feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, a practice animal rights activists call torture. Livers from birds that eat more naturally will still be for sale legally, but chefs say those just taste don’t as good.

A cook’s group called the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards, or CHEFS, says it is planning to fight for a repeal of the law.

But for now, enjoy that foie gras cocktail while it lasts, guys!

With Time Running Out, California Is Gorging Itself on Foie Gras [Wall Street Journal]

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