Foie gras d'oie du Sud-Ouest

Foie gras d'oie du Sud-Ouest was born of the same terroir and the same gesture as the goose that yields it: as early as the Middle Ages, waterfowl farming developed within the ancestral mixed farming and livestock systems of the South-West, before the introduction of maize in the 17th century revolutionised the diet of farmyard animals and gave rise, at the end of the 18th century, to the gavage skills still practised today. In the South-West, the finest livers were traditionally destined for the marchés au gras where they were sold: a meticulous sorting, difficult to codify, was passed down from worker to worker among canners to select the livers and anticipate how they would behave during cooking. An agricultural review from 1930 already confirmed this: 'the Livers are most often brought to market, where the large quantity is bought by commission agents and canning manufacturers' buyers'.

It was in 1954 that the bloc de foie gras appeared, a preparation made solely from foie gras — unlike mousse de foie gras — which quickly became a success among South-West canners. Until 1968, agricultural statistics for the traditional South-West area already distinguished the two uses of goose foie gras: out of the total tonnage, a small share (135 tonnes) remained consumed on the farms, whilst the majority (477 tonnes) was marketed — proof of the importance of the liver trade on the marchés au gras in supplying local canneries.