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THROUGHOUT history, the ortolan bunting, a songbird native to Europe and Western Asia, has been associated with sinful excess and indulgence. Native to various European countries and parts of Western Asia, this songbird was traditionally trapped by hunters during its annual migration in the Landes department of France. Special nets called matoles were laid out to capture the birds. Ortolans, known for feeding at night, were then confined in cages and kept in perpetual darkness to fatten them on millet.
The captured birds were eventually killed, cooked, and consumed. Considered a pre-eminent delicacy in French cuisine, the ortolan became a symbol of extravagant dining. However, the English-language fantasy version of the ortolan, characterised by purposely blinding the bird, force-feeding it, drowning it in Armagnac, roasting it in fat until it "sings," and consuming it in a single mouthful, is harder to pinpoint.
Notable references to ortolans can be found in Marcel Proust's novel The Guermantes Way from the early 1920s and in the Larousse Gastronomique encyclopedia first published in 1938. These sources mention various recipes and preparations for the bird, including extravagant options like ortolans à la Carême, which involve combining foie gras, truffles, and sweetbreads.
Scene from Billions
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The significance of using a shrouding napkin during ortolan consumption has also evolved over time. Previously, it was mainly used to enhance the dining experience rather than conceal shame. The practice aimed to minimise unsightly displays while consuming the small and bony songbirds and to intensify the senses. Renowned French culinary figure Marie-Thérèse Ordonez, known as Maïté, explained in a 1987 video guide that enjoying a delicacy like ortolan required maximising the pleasure.
The use of napkins essentially embodies the duality of the ortolan tradition. On one hand, it represents the excess and indulgence associated with consuming such a rare and forbidden delicacy. It symbolises the privileged few who have access to this extravagant feast, emphasising the elitism and exclusivity inherent in the act of eating ortolan.
On the other hand, the handkerchief alludes to the notion of shame and moral ambiguity. The act of consuming ortolan has long been criticised for its cruelty and disregard for the environment. The handkerchief then, becomes a metaphorical veil, allowing diners to momentarily conceal their participation in this morally questionable act.
However, such brazen and conspicuous consumption eventually faced societal changes and legal restrictions. The European Union banned the hunting of ortolans in 1979, and subsequent legislation further prohibited their capture and possession since the 1990s. The French government has recently taken enforcement measures more seriously.
The ortolan's disappearance from public tables only heightened its mystique and allure. Black market prices soared, sometimes exceeding $200 a bird. To partake in this forbidden indulgence, one had to establish close connections with professional chefs or poachers who possessed these closely-guarded supplies. The ortolan transformed from a delicacy into a symbol of gluttony, enjoyed in defiance of both natural and human laws.
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A legendary dinner enjoyed by the dying French President François Mitterand on New Year's Eve in 1995 encapsulated this era. Mitterand reportedly savoured Marennes oysters, foie gras, capon, and not one but two ortolans, all consumed in full Armagnac-and-napkin-shroud regalia. He passed away eight days later without consuming another morsel.
Accounts like Michael Paterniti's 1998 Esquire story, The Last Meal, vividly describe the cruelty and carnality associated with ortolan consumption. They depict uncooked birds with tiny, bloated bodies and bruised eyes, and highlight the wet noises of crunching bones and tendons during ortolan-eating gatherings. Yet, amidst these descriptions, there is also an element of illicit pleasure, evoking a "never-in-a-lifetime" experience that combines the sacred and the profane, akin to a pagan Last Supper where body and blood are consumed in service of a higher power.
This modern-day mythologised ortolan has captured the imagination, particularly in television shows like Succession and Billions, which explore themes of late capitalist elitism. The dish becomes a metaphor for the insatiable appetite for satisfaction, even at the expense of others.
In Succession, the bird symbolises a delicacy reserved for the super-rich, a culinary extravagance that parallels the hidden wrongdoing and decadence of the wealthy elite. The ortolan is served during a pivotal scene in which the ultra-wealthy Roy family indulges in an extravagant meal. The scene showcases the opulent lifestyle of the characters and their complete detachment from the moral implications of their actions. The ortolan, with its history of being a forbidden delicacy, perfectly captures the theme of privilege and excess that runs throughout the show.
Similarly, in Billions, the ortolan becomes a representation of extreme self-gratification and an utter disregard for the consequences of one's actions. In one episode, a character named Bobby Axelrod partakes in the ortolan tradition, embodying his relentless pursuit of pleasure and power. The act of consuming the ortolan becomes a metaphor for his insatiable appetite for success and willingness to cross any line in the pursuit of his desires.
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Both shows use the ortolan as a narrative device to highlight the dark side of capitalism and the moral compromises made by those in positions of power. By featuring the ortolan dish, these series draw attention to the extravagant lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy and the inherent corruption that often accompanies such privilege. The scenes serve as a critique of a system that rewards greed and indulgence, while also emphasising the disconnect between the wealthy elite and the consequences of their actions.
While these shows critique specific aspects of capitalism, they do not single out ortolan consumption as uniquely worse than other forms of animal consumption, such as the production of foie gras or the treatment of mass-farmed animals. Instead, they suggest that capitalism itself is a universal malady, corrupting and cruel, and the more exposed one is to its excesses, the more pronounced these characteristics become. Ortolan consumption serves as a potent symbol, highlighting the explicit nature of these traits within a specific context of indulgence and opulence.
