Humans have a long history of eating controversial foods from hallucinogenic honey to maggot-infested cheese. We’ve even been known to eat an exotic animal or two — a habit that has in some cases led to the extinction of entire species (the dodo Steller’s sea cow and passenger pigeon are all famous examples).
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Luxury Academy | 2021-05-19 18:35:45 |  26,698 Views |
Ortolan. The illegal luxury delicacy
But if you thought our appetite for eating wild animals to death was a thing of the past think again: In France researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation Sciences believe that a species of small songbird is also in danger of disappearing thanks to its widespread (and essentially illegal) use as a delicacy. The bird in question is the ortolan bunting (ortolan bunting) a finch-like species found across much of Europe and parts of Asia that has seen its population decline by 88% since 1980 due to hunting and other factors according to a 2016 study published in the ornithological journal Ornis Fennica.
These birds have been heavily hunted in France for decades (around 30000 ortolans are killed each year) and are drowned in alcohol and eaten whole while the guest wears a napkin or some other kind of shroud on their head. Interestingly enough this strange dish and equally bizarre ritual still has the support of celebrity chefs wealthy gourmets and even politicians (French President François Mitterrand reportedly ate two ortolans shortly before his death) despite the fact that hunting ortolans was banned in France in 1999.
Poachers capture the ortolans as they migrate through southwestern France in the fall using nets or glue applied to tree branches. Once captured the birds are kept in small cages away from light and force-fed grains and ripe figs to fatten them up. When they reach the desired size (some birds more than double in size) the ortolans are drowned in Armagnac a type of French brandy that also serves as a marinade. They are then plucked and boiled before being presented at the table in one piping hot piece.
