Chicago lifts ban on foie gras

Chicago on Wednesday overturned its two-year ban on foie gras, the delicacy made from the fattened livers of ducks and geese, the Chicago Tribune reported. The ban, slipped into a routine City Council vote in 2006, earned the city international attention: admiration from animal rights groups and ire from the culinary world.

Reaction to the repeal was swift. Relieved chefs, including Christophe Pouy, above, celebrated, and began preparing the controversial dish in time for dinner last night.

Chef Didier Durand, who led the fight against the ban, told the Tribune, "We're going to paint the town with foie gras."

Animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, decried the reversal, calling it "dirty political maneuvering" by the food industry and saying the city was "right the first time in banning this hideously cruel product."

-- Tony Barboza

Photo: Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune

Comments

[Aaron]

Thank you Chicago City Council! I would advise the animal rights activists to do the following:
1. Try foie gras. It's delicious!
2. Spend some quality time with your average duck or goose. They have horrible personalities!
Then they will see the wisdom of lifting this ban.

[Rich]

Tell those "People Eating Tasty Animals" whack-os to jump into their diesel Subaru drive to the closest "All Natural" store, order another Soy Burger and wank at someone else. What allows them to dictate what other people do?

If I am not being disrespected, I have enough courtesy to leave them alone, they should do the same.

[Christopher]

Eating meat IS CRUEL yes, I understand, I accept that fact, and I enjoy meat. I just try not to be excessive and eat very much. I don't like that the animals suffer, but I'm not going to put animal rights before human rights.

What a horrible screwed up sense of priorities, wasting time being part of PETA and yet being able to tolerate George Bush committing treasonous war-profiteering crimes!

[Roger]

I am a member of PETA. We strongly feel the need to push our beliefs upon the ignorant. Everyone has a basic right to Life. I will continue to eat tasty animals and defend the right to do so. After all, we would not be here if our distant ancestors did not fry up a goose liver thus introducing the necessary proteins for our brains to evolve. Long live PETA!

[Chef Mark]

It’s about time. If you have ever been to a foie gras farm, and I have, the geese actually come running for food. Yes, there is a feeding tube. But the geese I saw were not running away. There is no mistreatment of animals what so ever. Regardless of the push by activists, who would have us all eat soy instead of real protein, the ban is a "slippery slope" to other bans. What's next? Maybe we should ban salt as it causes high blood pressure. Perhaps we should tell people that they can’t eat peanut butter. It’s high in cholesterol. Hey how about we ban wine while were at it, or beer, or liquor too. Prohibition of anything is absurd. If I want it, I have every right to have it. I tell the animal rights activists, “Hop back in your bio-diesel and mind your own business.” Meanwhile I will be preparing dead cow, dead pig, dead salmon, dead chicken, and heaping loads of foie gras to whomever orders it.

[DavidH]

I love all these people advocating torture so they can fill their bellies with some unnecessary crap. There is so much good food to eat without eating this garbage.

[RobynIsRosy]

Wow, Chef Mark you're actually comparing the protestation of animal abuse to the eating of salt and peanuts, and the drinking of wine, beer, or liquor?

Tell me, do you consider yourself more a chef or an intellect?

[April]

Chef Mark, please let me know the location of the foie gras farm where geese actually run to their feeding tubes (and where there is no mistreatment of animals "what so ever").

Respond promptly, as the kids and I are looking for a fun outing this weekend.

Thanks!

[jonathan]

Christopher, are you a plant or an animal (you seen to be confused)?

[meesh]

the ban on foie gras was one of two reasons (the other being This American Life from Chicago Public Radio) that i bothered even giving Chicago a second thought. but now their city council seems rather confused, or dare i say wishy washy.

it's one thing to not bother banning something at all, but to ban it and then reinstate it two years later? can't they make up their minds?

[Ann]

Eat what you like, just don't hurt anyone in the process.

If you can find a way to do it without torturing the bird, be my guest! Animals in the wild hunt and kill. They don't lock them up in pens, obsessed with greed, and force feed them for years like prisoners.

and another thing, if you think it's healthy go right ahead, you are eating the mentally insane and inbred. Not what I want on my plate. Happy eating careless slobs!