This French Dish Is So 'Sinful' Diners Have To Put Napkins On Their Heads To Eat It

Before dinner, people engage in various rituals, from saying grace to clinking glasses or cleansing their palates. However, tucking a napkin over their heads before digging into their meal has to be one of the most peculiar traditions yet.

Why Do People Put A Napkin On Their Heads While Dining?

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This particular custom comes into play only when you're devouring a specific dish, and the rationale behind it will likely leave you with more queries than solutions.

When indulging in ortolan bunting, commonly known as ortolan, diners follow a curious tradition of covering themselves with napkins, intending to “conceal their sin from God.” The mystery behind this French delicacy and the urge to hide from fellow diners and celestial observers might leave you intrigued.

In addition to its reputation as a delicious yet controversial dish, Ortolan Bunting happens to be an adorable, tiny songbird.

What Makes This Dish ‘Sinful’?

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Captured in nets as they prepare to migrate to Africa during the autumn, the plight of Ortolan Buntings takes a distressing turn. These nocturnal birds?are confined in covered cages or boxes for approximately three weeks, inducing excessive eating by disrupting their natural body clocks.

During this period, they are force-fed a continuous supply of grains and seeds, causing ortolan buntings to balloon in size, nearly tripling their original weight. Following this, they are submerged in Armagnac brandy within a container, a process that both drowns and marinates them.

Once soaked, they are plucked and roasted for a mere eight minutes before being served to adventurous food enthusiasts. The tradition dictates that each Ortolan must be consumed in a single bite, promising an incredibly savoury, juicy, and tender experience.

However, this culinary indulgence comes with a rather unpleasant surprise—a nauseating crunch as diners bite into the bird's delicate bones and, occasionally, its beak. Some individuals find it challenging to swallow these crunchy elements, opting to discreetly spit them out along with any other undesirable bits.

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