Today’s literary delicacy, served up for your pleasure, is an account by Edward Stourton of the (now banned) French dish of ortolans.
These tiny songbirds are pretty little things, with greenish heads, yellow throats and brown and black striped backs. They must be captured alive and then left for a month to gorge themselves on grapes and figs in a dark box (some connoisseurs prefer to blind them altogether); once they have swollen themselves to a grotesque size they are drowned in Armagnac, roasted and eaten whole, bones, feathers and all. Tradition dictates that the diners should cover their heads with huge, embroadered white cloths while indulging – some hold that this is to hide their cruel gluttony from God, others that it is to intensify the unique aroma of the bird, still others that it’s simply a sensible precuation because of the monstrously repulsive practicalities of stuffing a grossly overwight roasted, feathered creature into your mouth.
We’re also assured (in Stourton’s book “It’s a PC World”) that it’s rather tasty.
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6 Comments
Hmm. I try not to judge other cultures on their eating habits without first asking a) does the creature suffer?; and b) is this worse than the industrial factory farming of one billion chickens, that we happily inflict on the animal world every year in the UK?
This sounds like a strange tradition, but ultimately I think I’d still rather be a farmed animal in France than the UK.
It was a favourite of Francois Mitterand; personally, I’m a Tete de Veau man, like Jaques Chirac. I’m surprised to hear it has been banned. When?
Covering your head also means that you cannot be witnessed committing this crime.
Vile stuff.
Mark Wright, I wouldn’t dismiss your argument but if you’re right that says that we are wrong rather than saying that these people are right. I think it’s worth paying a few more pennies for free range poultry (organic has higher welfare standards) & it is much better stuff.
I am a vegetarian but I have no objection to proper pasture-fed, properly reared meat, & wild-caught fish. I recommend “The Killing Of The Countryside” by Graham Harvey & “The End Of The Line” by Charles Clover to the interested.
I think the majority of people could fit in higher-welfare food if they were more carefu with their budgeting. It sickens me to see people casually throw away food, especially if they are the same people who whinge about having no money. You can make more sensible purchases & buy less tat, then you can get healthy stuff, & the occasional more expensive bit of stuff.
It makes me feel sorry for the poorest people, who would be glad of what the wastrels chuck in the bin because they haven’t budgeted properly. Also, the waste by supermarkets & the general inefficiency of our supply chain leave so much to be desired. Anyone who hasn’t been booked to death by my reservations may wish to read “Waste” by Tristram Stuart, who has also got an excellent book aout vegetarianism.
I went to France last year. Because my parents’ friends have a property, the trip only cost me £300, which is still a lot of money but which I could meet out of my savings because I haven’t got a wife, kids etc. I was impressed by how many farmers’ markets etc they had, & the local drinks were excellent. I savoured something called “creme de peche” which is made out of peaches. They really know what it’s all about out there. They also bake excellent bread, & you can have a nice drop of Chartreuse after a meal.
Asquith –
why would you support wild caught fish? It seems intuitive to me that farmed is more sustainable, as there is less a problem of tragedy of the commons, since the fish are owned by the farmers… But I have heard people say bad things about farmed fish, so would be interested
HarryD, I am sceptical about fish farming because of the consequences in terms of the waste produced by the fish in pens, the fish & various other foodstuffs that have to be gold hold of to feed the farmed fish, & other environmental problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/oct/22/food.foodanddrink
As you can see, there are also animal welfare concerns.
I do not attack all fish farming, & yes, some wild fishing is bad. It really depends. Both wild & farmed fish may or may not be sustainable. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certify fish they consider sustainable, such as some Pacific cods, & you may like to look for things they have stamped their mark on.
I’m afraid I haven’t got many links to hand, as it’s a story that only rarely comes up, but if you’ve got time for a bit of readig “The End Of The Line” is good at setting out the stall.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2009/02/24/south_east_tilapia_s15_w7_feature.shtml