Foie gras (French for "fat liver") is "the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage" (as defined by French law).Foie gras is one of the most popular and well-known delicacies in French cuisine and its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras can be sold whole, or prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté (the lowest quality), and is typically served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as toast or steak.The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 BCE, when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding. Today, France is by far the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations, the United States, and China.Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial, due to the force feeding procedure, and the possible health consequences of an enlarged liver, and a number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras due to how it is traditionally produced.In modern gavage-based foie gras production, force feeding takes place 12−18 days before slaughter; other methods do not involve force-feeding, and time the slaughter to coincide with the winter migration, when livers are naturally fattened. The duck or goose is typically fed a controlled amount of corn mash through a tube inserted in the animal's cuticle-lined esophagus.Fattened liver can be produced by alternative methods without gavage, and this is referred to either as "fatty goose liver" or as foie gras (outside France), though it does not conform to the French legal definition, and there is debate about the quality of the liver produced. This has only recently been produced commercially, and is a very small fraction of the market.Animal rights and welfare organizations and activists regard foie gras production methods as cruel to animals, while foie gras producers maintain that force feeding ducks and geese is not uncomfortable for the animals nor is it hazardous to their health. The Scientific Committee for Animal Health and Welfare of the European Commission reviewed the literature on welfare aspects of foie gras production, and strongly concludes that "force feeding, as currently practised, is detrimental to the welfare of the birds." (Further details.)