Foie gras finds favor

JINAN — Foie gras, an ingredient traditionally used in upscale Western cuisine, has become trendy in an East China enclave.

Nowadays, goose livers — from which foie gras is made — produced in Linqu county, a mountainous region in Shandong province, have been used as an ingredient in a variety of food products, including dumplings and ice cream. These offerings have found popularity both domestically and abroad.

The fatty, juicy livers have become a cash cow for the inhabitants of Linqu. In the decades since Landes geese were first introduced to the county, nestled among the towering Mengshan Mountain and Yishui River in 1988, a whole industrial chain involving the birds, including breeding, processing, sales, and research and development, has taken shape.