Ortolan
Ortolans were a delicacy that the French royalty often indulged in before they were banned in 1999 (not soon enough, if you ask us, you’ll see why).
These are tiny birds the size of your thumb that weigh less than an ounce. You might be wondering what the big deal is. After all, the majority of us eat chicken. The issue behind this delicacy was the inhumane way the birds were treated prior to serving, especially when it comes to torture methods that might leave some of our readers squeamish.
Weeks of torture included blinding and force-feeding, culminating in drowning the birds in Armagnac brandy in order for them to be marinated alive. Sounds gruesome, right? The worst part is that all of these methods of ‘preparation’ aren’t even the real reason they’re banned.
In fact, the FDA regulates ortolans because they’re endangered. With their numbers dwindling rapidly, undoubtedly because of this French “delicacy”, efforts are made to help bring them back from the brink of extinction.
