Why not just snuff it man, I'm gonna eat it anyway

Another of the foods mentioned in the Devil's Pinic is the ortolan, a now endangered bird. Eating it is banned, probably because of the endangered status, but there is a small flame war on eGullet on whether it would be ethical to eat them if they weren't endangered. They are stuffed then drowned in Armagnac and then eaten whole. Grescoe provides the added detail that you suck the innards out through the bird's ass. That's right, its ass. Because the eating process is a bit messy, you traditionally wear a napkin over your head while eating it. Apparently Mitterand had an illegal supper of these birds when he learned he would die. Laws for thee, but not for me apparently.

For more tales of animal exploitation, you should visit the food markets of Guangzhou. Not only do they all manner of animals for sale, endangered and not, but apparently they are great breeding grounds for bird flu. Huzzah. Almost makes you want to flirt with some form of vegetarianism. Almost.