One Day in Prague, this Happened…
Learning to Like Foie Gras, with a Caveat
I’ve had foie gras, a goose or duck liver pate, a few times in my life and have never been a huge fan of the taste. I know it’s supposed to be a delicacy, but it was always too pungent for my liking, with the foie gras having a weird creamy consistency that didn’t settle well with my tastebuds and always overpowered whatever else it was served with. Combine the fact I’d yet to find foie gras I liked with the other fact that it isn’t exactly the most humane thing one can eat and I’d pretty much written off trying it ever again. (Having a vegan, animal-rights activist as one of your closest friends will do that to you.)
Then I was in Prague at the prestigious Bellevue restaurant and it was on the menu as an appetizer. And the server recommended it. Gulp. Should I try it? When traveling I have a rule of following the recommendations of those in the know, but did I really want to go down the foie gras route again?
I told my mom, who I was traveling with, to not remind me how it’s made, sent a silent plea to my vegan friend to forgive me, and decided to order it. If nothing else, I was curious what good foie gras tasted like and figured if I still didn’t like it after Bellevue, it was probably just not my thing.
The foie gras came out with a gingerbread crust and came with strawberry sauce and rhubarbs plus brioche. I stared at it a bit dubiously for a moment before spreading some on the bread and taking a bite.
Bellevue didn’t disappoint.
For once, foie gras didn’t taste like a more sophisticated version of SPAM to me; instead it had a hint of sweetness from the strawberry and rhubarb and the gingerbread brought out the duck flavors without it being overpowering. So this is why people like foie gras, I thought. My mom tried a bite, too, and gave her approval.
So Bellevue finally got me to like foie gras after all these years and as someone who loves trying new foods, I’m happy to say I now understand the allure of foie gras. It was still hard for me to forget how it was made, though, meaning I probably won’t be eating it much in the future. (If you don’t know the logistics, this explains. As with most things, there’s controversy over it and if it really is inhumane or not so you have to make your own decision on this one. Or get a Vegan BFF.) For me, I probably won’t be eating foie gras much – if ever – in the future, but that’s ok with me, because I’ve got the Bellevue memory of it.
