What Can We Learn from Liver?

This chapter summarizes the complex dynamics surrounding the consumption of foie gras. It discusses the history of the foie gras industry as well as its arrival and reception in the United States, particularly the animal rights activism surrounding the food. Building on this more controversial side of foie gras, the chapter places this foodstuff within the larger context of morality and gastropolitics, illuminating the social meanings and values behind cuisine. In addition to this, the chapter also accounts for the economics of foie gras, by paying attention to the institutional structures in which it is embedded. The chapter argues that to fully grasp the concerns and consequences of gastropolitics, we can, and must, look at how foods and foodways sit at the intersection of markets, the state, and social movements.