THE French term foie gras, literally translated, means "fat liver", and refers to the livers of specially fattened geese and ducks. Although France is the country most closely associated with it, foie gras has a very long history. No one knows how it was first discovered that geese and ducks that gorged themselves would develop oversize and delicious livers, but bas-reliefs dating back to at least 2,500 BC depict Egyptians force-feeding geese with balls of packed grain.

In France, Gascony, Alsace and the Perigord are the regions known for foie gras. Foie gras doie is goose foie gras, foie gras de conard is duck foie (from, respectively, Strasbourg or Toulouse geese and, traditionally, Barbary or Muscovy ducks, and now moulards as well). Each bird has its partisans, although goose foie gras has been the traditional favourite.

However, personal preferences aside, most connoisseurs agree that each is best treated differently in cooking. Goose foie gras is even richer than duck foie gras, and more of it melts away if cooked at high temperatures; therefore it's better for terrines, for example, which are baked at a low temperature. Duck foie gras holds up better to sauteeing and high-temperature roasting.

Throughout southwestern France, once geese and ducks being raised for foie gras reach the age of five months or so, they undergo a four-to-five-week period of gauage, or forced feeding, before they are slaughtered. The ducks are fed twice a day, but geese must be fed more often; raising geese can be problematic in other ways as well. The result of this intensive feeding, usually with corn, is livers several times the size of those in the average bird � upto 2 1/2 pounds for a goose, 1 1/2 pounds or more for a duck.

Although foie gras and the fattened ducks and geese may appear in the markets from late October to April, November and December are the prime months, and foie gras is a traditional part of many French Christmases and New Year's celebrations. While France has long been the main source of foie gras, it is also produced in Israel, Hungary, Poland, Canada and, since the last decade, the United States.

The classic way to prepare foie gras is to bake it into a terrine, often after marinating it in Sauternes or a similar wine. However, there are many other ways to serve it, as innovative chefs in both France and North America have discovered. Sauteed medallions of foie gras, seared on the outside and meltingly smooth inside, are delicious, as is foie gras roasted at a high temperature to the same effect. Because foie gras is so rich, it takes well to sharp, acidic, astringent flavors.

When confronted with a whole foie gras here is what to do. French recipes call for soaking the liver in ice water for several hours to remove any traces of blood, but that is usually unnecessary with duck livers. However, if preparing a terrine or roasting or cooking the foie gras whole, you will want to remove the veins. This is easier to do if the liver is not ice-cold, because it might break apart in the process. (Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before deveining it, then return it to the refrigerator until ready to cook).

Each liver has two lobes, one larger than the other; carefully separate them, cutting the connective vein if necessary. Peel off any thin membranes remaining on the liver, remove any white fat on the inner part of the lobe, and trim off any greenish spots, which would taste bitter. Each lobe has a larger vein running lengthwise through the centre and a network of s amaller veins radiating from it.

If you're lucky, you can find the end or centre of the central vein and pull it out, but it's more prudent to gradually remove it, working along its path with your fingertips; be careful, though, or you'll end up with pieces. Because of the texture of foie gras, however, you can more or less press it back together if need be. If you are slicing the foie gras for sauteeing, deveining is more a matter of personal preference; it's often better just to slice it, then remove any noticeable veins with tweezers. For neat slicing, use a hot knife, dipping it into hot water and wiping it clean between slices.

What the Label Means

In France, the labelling of foie gras products is very strictly regulated by law. Here are some terms you will see on tins or jars of such products: Foie gras (d'oie or de canard) entier means a whole lobe, with a smaller piece or two added if necessary to reach the necessary weight. If the can says just foie grad d'oje or de canard, it contains large pieces of a lobe, not a whole one. A bloc de foie gras is processed pureed pieces of the liver; a bloc avec morceau must contain visible pieces of the lobe within the puree.

Once the amount of foie gras drops below 100 per cent, the product can no longer be labeled foie gras, but must be identified rather as just foie d'oie or foie de canard. A parfait de foie is pureed foie gras that may contain added fat and pureed chicken livers, but must be a minimum of 75 per cent foie gras. Pates, galantines and pures or mousses contain a minimum 50 per cent foie gras, with the remainder made from pork, veal, chicken, and pork and chicken livers.

Other terms include foie gras cru, or raw fresh foie gras �the best, but not what you would want to bring back on the plane. Foie gras mi-cuit or foie gras frais has been only briefly cooked. Foie gras semi-conserve has been cooked and pasteurised, foie gras en conserve has been sterilised as well.

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