Its critics find it dull ... but its supporters underline the subtlety of its aroma. Goose foie gras, which largely comes from the French grey goose, weighs double the duck variety and has a pinker look. The French grey accumulates lipids in its liver, as opposed to the Polish goose which mostly converts carbohydrates into fat on contact with the meat. The foie gras from a Polish goose is therefore smaller and the meat less interesting.

Goose farming for foie gras production takes a week longer than for the ducks. That partly explains why one sees duck (rather than goose) foie gras on the market.