The Illegal French Songbird Delicacy

The ortolan is a tiny songbird once considered the ultimate French indulgence. Consuming it is now strictly forbidden, as the birds are blinded and force-fed to create a gourmet meal eaten in total secrecy.

To prepare the bird, chefs would traditionally trap it and keep it in the dark so it would eat until it reached four times its natural size. The tradition was to eat the bird in one bite, including the bones, while hiding one's head under a napkin. The ritual was meant to mask the gluttony from God, or perhaps simply to savor the scent of the dish. Today, these birds are protected by law, making the dish a relic of a controversial culinary past.