The Duck Confit Police: Traditional Foods, Why Protect Them?

As I mentioned in my last post, foie gras has been given some legal attention in Europe - namely, the E.U. has issued a statement that its production must not grow beyond regions where it is already being made.  Which is a way of saying "We think it's a cruel practice but we're not willing to pry duck livers out of the cold, dead hands of Frenchmen."

Taste: Foie Gras, and Why Americans are Queasy About It

The world constantly evolves - in every direction and on every scale.  In the human world, cultures are changing at accelerating rates.  Societies uproot and update old traditions, and in America we're struggling right now with Foie Gras.

What about it?  The Old World practice of force-feeding ducks and geese to produce engorged livers seems barbaric to many.  In 2004 California enacted a law banning its production (going into effect in 2012), and the Chicago City Council made it illegal to sell foie gras in that city in 2006 (the law has since been repealed.)  In the European Union, production has been limited by treaty to those places where it "is currently in practice" and remains a part of a region's cultural heritage.