I discovered The Ethicurean while searching for information about an NPR story on cruelty-free fois gras production. The site features frequently updated links to, and stories about, ethical eating, food news and foodie activism, very cool.

It seems that a company in Spain called Pateria de Sousa is raising the ire of French fois gras producers by claiming to produce ethical fois gras without the need for La Gavage (force feeding) while simultaneously winning the prestigious Paris International Food Salon’s Coup de Coeur award for fois gras producers. The Spanish company’s geese are grass-fed and free-range birds that tend to naturally overeat in preparation for winter migration, so the production is seasonally limited and the price is therefore high.

French culinary critics, and especially industry insiders, are crying foul, claiming that la gavage techniques are not only not cruel, but essential to imparting that special je ne sais pas that you just can’t get with an ordinary fat goose.

Also covered on chow.com.