Those who eat Ortolan, also known as roasted bunting, a luxurious and intricate dish from France, believe that covering their heads with a white cloth helps them escape the gaze of God while consuming the flesh of the small, beautiful, and innocent creature.
The Ortolan is a songbird no larger than the palm of a hand, typically weighing around 30 grams. They are a rare species primarily found in warm climates across Europe, particularly in southern France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. These birds feed on insects during the summer and on grains and seeds from the ground at other times of the year.
Besides their melodious singing, Ortolans have been renowned in French cuisine since ancient times as a luxurious and “noble” dish. They are prepared meticulously to retain their plumpness and richness while absorbing the flavors of hazelnuts, blending with the rich sweetness of the meat and organs. This showcases the class and essence of the world’s top culinary traditions.
Due to their exquisite flavor, many people overlook the brutality involved in their preparation and seek to purchase them for consumption.
Ortolan prepared by top chefs and featured on the menus of the finest restaurants. (Photo: Tumblr).
The Brutal Breeding and Killing Process
The controversy surrounding the luxurious Ortolan dish arises not only from the scarcity of birds in Europe but also from the extremely cruel methods of hunting, breeding, and slaughtering. During migration season, as birds fly back to Africa, hunters set numerous traps in fields to capture as many birds as possible.
However, the best ingredients for roasted Ortolan are those that are fattened to be 2 to 4 times their normal size. Thus, after being trapped, they are confined in overcrowded cages to minimize movement. To fatten them quickly, Ortolans are force-fed nutritious foods like millet, raisins, and figs, regardless of their needs. It is said that ancient Roman emperors even blinded the birds to make them think it was night, encouraging them to eat more.
Once they have been sufficiently fattened and reached the perfect weight, the birds are submerged in Armagnac to induce a slow death. This process allows the meat to absorb the sweet flavor of the alcohol while the skin turns an olive color. Finally, the chef only needs to add a bit of seasoning and roast them for 6 to 8 minutes to complete the dish.
After being submerged in Armagnac, the skin of the Ortolan turns olive-colored, and the meat absorbs a sweet flavor. (Photo: Telegraph).
“The Gaze of God”
For the exquisite Ortolan, the act of tasting is also a ritual. Diners do not cut the bird into small pieces and use knives and forks as usual. Traditionally, each person must cover their head with a white cloth, then place the whole bird in their mouth with the head facing outward, slowly chewing all parts from the feet to the bones, leaving only the head. The cloth serves partly to prevent diners from feeling embarrassed in front of others, but more importantly, it is believed to help them hide from the gaze of God while consuming the flesh of the small, beautiful creature.
It is believed that the white cloth covering the head helps diners avoid the gaze of God while eating the flesh of small, innocent beings. (Photo: MAXPPP).
Eating Ortolan is a secret pleasure for the French, but that is no excuse for these small creatures to endure human brutality.
Ban on Hunting and Slaughtering Ortolan
From 1970 to 1980, the population of Ortolans in France significantly decreased due to relentless hunting to supply chefs in upscale restaurants. In pursuit of massive profits, poachers captured large quantities, leading to a 30% decline in this bird species, with 30,000 birds killed annually in the southwestern region of Aquitaine alone. In response to this reality, in 2007, while hunting for Ortolan was banned across the EU, the French government announced severe penalties for this act, reaching up to 6,000 euros (approximately 150 million VND).
Although not publicly acknowledged, many restaurants in France continued to serve this dish prior to 2007.
Where is the Line Between Exquisite Cuisine and Ultimate Brutality?
The French take pride in their culinary culture, but it also serves as a starting point for ongoing debates about humanity. From the chilling tale of geese being force-fed through hard metal tubes inserted directly into their throats to produce large livers, to the inflating Ortolans that cannot help themselves, all of this caters to the extravagant pleasures of dining, always accompanied by flowery praise for the sophistication of the experience.
Besides Ortolans, the method of preparing foie gras in France also raises many ethical concerns.
This precarious balance in many people’s views on the concept of French delicacies has contributed to the intrigue surrounding foie gras and roasted Ortolan.
Speaking of the cloth that covers the eyes of God, it presents a unique legend and a strange humanitarian perspective. Could it be that despite holding beliefs in religious faith, a dish that raises ethical controversies still leads people to wrestle with their consciences?
