\b0 The cuisine of the PΘrigord is one of the tastiest in France, with
its natural ingredients (such as the truffle, ôthat black diamond of cookingö as Brillat-Savarin called it, boletus mushrooms, and walnuts, as well as strawberries and potatoes) and its specialities like \i foie gras\i0 , which can be made from duck or g
oose. To produce this delicate food, the goose must be crammed with maize to make it fat, so that its weight rises from six to ten kilos (thirteen to twenty-two pounds) in just three weeks, with a liver that can weigh as much as one kilo (two and a quart
er pounds)! Cleaned and stripped of its sinews and gall, the liver can be prepared in many ways and eaten raw, cooked, or half-cooked. The meat of the goose or duck can then be prepared and preserved in fat to produce savory \i confits\i0 , or conserves.
