They raise a number of different points.
Luxury ingredient foie gras has been a bone of contention among many for some time. The French delicacy, which is made of fattened duck or goose liver, is controversial due to how it is prepared – by force-feeding ducks – a practice which has long sparked animal welfare debates between activists and epicures.
Last week, it was announced that New York City will ban restaurants and grocery stores from selling foie gras from 2022, with hefty fines being dished out to those in violation. The controversial ingredient is also banned in California, and has been for some time, but what about the rest of the world?
Made famous in France and holding pride of place on menus within the best restaurants worldwide – including a handful in Malta – it is also available to purchase at butchers and grocery stores, both locally and abroad, but should it continue to be so?
Kevin Bonello, Chef de Cuisine at de Mondion within The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux, which is widely considered to be among the best fine dining establishments locally, does not mince his words. “I am completely against a ban on foie gras. It is a product that has been on the market for many years, and there are many other issues that should take precedence,” he says.
Arguing that a ban on the luxury ingredient would be an imposition on those who seek it out, he affirms, “people can opt to be vegan or vegetarian, but these things shouldn’t be imposed on everyone.”
Echoing his thoughts, Paul Buttigieg, head chef at the exceptional Tmun Restaurant in Gozo maintains that foie gras isn’t for everyone, saying “there’s no hiding what it is, but at the end of the day, customers can simply choose not to order it.”
Asked what he thinks of a ban on the product, he says that there is “no point”, because “people who are looking for foie gras will always find it”, referring to casu marzu, a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae – “it’s banned but if you look for it you can still find it.” He also directs me to ethical producers of foie gras like Eduardo Sousa, suggesting that sourcing from farms such as this one, which focus on producing the luxury good without maltreating the animal, would make more sense than an outright ban.
Taking the business perspective, leading chef and restauranteur Marvin Gauci maintains that if there continues to be demand for it on the market, he has little choice but to offer it at his restaurants, as his competitors certainly will. “Foie gras is a premium ingredient, and foodies look for it. If I don’t deliver, someone else will,” he says.
While he makes it clear that he is firmly against animal cruelty on a personal level, Marvin also points out that as the owner of high-end restaurants like Tarragon, Caviar and Bull and Susurrus, as well as innovative dining concept Dinner in the Sky and two further restaurants in Budapest, he has a responsibility to provide the best ingredients for his chefs to work with, or risk losing them. “If I don’t give them the best, they won’t want to work for me,” he quips.
As for whether Malta should consider a ban, Marvin believes that the discussion should take place on an EU level, arguing that any foie gras served in Malta is imported. “The decision should be discussed on an EU level, involving the countries who produce and export it, like Hungary and France,” he says, affirming that if these countries decide on a ban, Malta would follow suit as a result.
What do you think about the ban on foie gras in New York? Do you feel it should be banned in Malta too?