Free food at a fancy restaurant sounds like a win (especially when it’s sent out by the chef), until you realize you have no interest in eating what’s been served.
One woman’s reaction to a complimentary appetizer has sparked a massive debate about whether certain foods are ethical to eat. And people have thoughts.
Woman Refuses Free Food From Chef
In a viral video with more than 4.6 million views, content creator Rachel (@raaachelfarmer) shared a controversial moment at a restaurant.
“When the waiter brings out foie gras complimentary of the chef and your boyfriend has to take one (two) for the team,” the text overlay reads.
The video shows two small bites of foie gras on a plate. Rachel’s boyfriend appears to be a good sport about the situation. He eats the controversial delicacy, while Rachel refuses to touch it.
“Took it like a champ. Have you had it / do you like it?” she asked in the caption.
What Is Foie Gras?
Foie gras—French for “fatty liver”—is a duck or goose liver that’s been fattened through a process called gavage.
The delicacy has been around since ancient Egypt, when people discovered that waterfowl naturally develop large, fatty livers after eating huge amounts in preparation for migration, HowStuffWorks explains. The practice spread across the Mediterranean, then into France in the late 16th century, where it became a cornerstone of French gastronomy.
Today, foie gras is served in high-end restaurants as pâté, seared, or in terrines. It’s got a smooth, buttery texture and rich flavor that makes it a luxury ingredient. It’s also expensive as hell—up to $125 for 2 pounds—because of the labor-intensive production process.
Farmers force-feed ducks and geese through a tube inserted into their throats, giving them up to 4 pounds of corn-based feed per day. The birds’ livers grow up to 10 times their normal size. That enlarged, fatty liver is what makes foie gras foie gras.
Why Is It So Controversial?
The controversy is pretty straightforward: a lot of people think shoving a tube down an animal’s throat multiple times a day is cruel.
Animal rights activists have been fighting foie gras production for years, and they’ve had some success. California banned it statewide. New York City passed a ban, but it has been caught up in legal battles. Australia, India, and parts of Europe have also outlawed it.
According to HowStuffWorks, activists argue that the process can cause ducks to hyperventilate and bleed.
Farmers argue that ducks aren’t like humans since they don’t have a gag reflex like humans do, Serious Eats adds. Their esophagus and trachea are completely separate (ducks breathe through their tongues), so a feeding tube doesn’t cause choking or discomfort the way it would for a human.
Waterfowl in the wild naturally gorge themselves before migration, storing fat in their livers. Their esophagus is built to stretch; it can hold over a quart of food, way more than the amount they’re fed during gavage. Unlike humans, whose fat builds up under the skin, migratory birds store excess fat in their livers naturally.
Commenters React
“Thats so generous i really appreciate the gesture but no thank you i dont feel comfortable eating foie gras,” a person suggested.
“Whenever I go to higher end restaurants, I always check the menu for foie gras beforehand so that I know not to bother going,” another wrote.
“You all are not comprehending the beauty of saying no. if all the customers keep eating it, the restaurant will keep serving it. if they all start to refuse because it’s unethical, they’ll replace it with something else… it all goes back to the consumer,” a top comment read.
“You turned down FREE foie gras? ‘No thanks, I don’t want this twenty dollar appetizer for free,’” a commenter added.
@raaachelfarmer Took it like a champ. Have you had it / do you like it? #foodie #fancy #foodlover #fancyfood #foodlovers
BroBible reached out to Farmer for comment via email and Instagram direct message.