France to the rescue! This unprecedented battle cry refers to a cause the nation is definitely willing to fight for: Foie gras. A month after the fatty liver’s sale and production was banned in California, French president Francois Hollande took a stand for the delicacy this week, pledging that he “would not let foie gras exports be jeopardized, especially in certain countries, or certain states in America.”
Rather than embrace our style of weak-sauce protest in nomenclature only, a la that whole misguided “freedom fries” re-branding mission in the build-up to a woeful U.S. war in Iraq, The L.A. Times reports that Hollande is hoping to send care packages of foie gras to U.S. government officials, just so they can enjoy the French product. “We may sometimes not be able to afford to buy foie gras ourselves but I wouldn’t want the Americans to be deprived of it,” le president quipped, possibly disguising his fear that the rest of our country could follow California (cough, like usual).
It’s encouraging to see this sudden French resistance in defense of our diets. And having Hollande play connect to Cali’s foie gras underground would be a welcome development. However, The UK’s Independent notes that all this talk might just be nationalist bluster more than an actual plan to make a difference over here. Your only hope may still be getting on the guy’s gift list.
Hollande delivered his fearsome saber-rattling at an independent farm set in the country, while it is noted that most French foie gras actually comes from factory farms where recent improvements include no longer nailing the birds’ feet to their cages. (Ack!—no wonder this stuff just got banned.) In any case, we’re happy to take whatever Jerry Brown can’t finish.
French President Francois Hollande takes aim at foie gras ban [LAT]
Hollande vows to fight California’s ban on foie gras [The Independent]
Earlier: French Snub Their Noses at the Foie Gras Ban; S.F. Restaurant Starts Serving It Legally, on Federal Land [GS]
There May Be Hope for Ending the Foie Gras Prohibition … Next Year [GS]
