buying foie gras

Getting the Freshest Foie Gras

Since foie gras comes in many presentations, you have to be very careful when procuring this product. Prepared products like pâtés, mousses, or blocs are shelf-stable and therefore freshness is not really an issue. However, with fresh or fresh-frozen foie gras, it is very important to know and trust your sources, so that you don’t get stuck with an old or low-quality product.
Fresh foie gras is hard to find and although some retailers that are close to the source may be able to provide it, more often than not it will be domestic (USA), or Canadian.

Buying Flash Frozen Foie Gras

Your best bet will be flash-frozen or fresh-frozen whole foie gras, a method of preserving foie gras pioneered by French manufacturer Rougie. This method of freezing the foie gras very quickly, only two hours after the animal is slaughtered, it the best way to preserve the original texture and flavor of the product. This new technology has revolutionized the import of fresh foie gras, making high quality lobes from France (which many consider superior to the domestic varieties) available in the United States. The lobes only need to be placed in water for a couple of hours in order to regain full texture and consistency.