Toulouse Goose

Toulouse Goose is a large domestic goose breed developed around the city of Toulouse in southwestern France, historically raised both for meat and, in a specially fattened form, for the production of foie gras and rendered goose fat central to regional French cuisine. It is one of the heaviest standard goose breeds, distinguished by a broad, deep body, a prominent dewlap of loose skin hanging beneath the beak in the fullest exhibition type, and gray plumage with a paler underside in its most common color variety. Two distinct types are commonly recognized, a heavier, more exaggerated exhibition type bred primarily in Britain and North America for shows, and a leaner, more naturally proportioned production type closer to the original French utility bird. The breed remains significant in traditional French goose farming and is also widely kept elsewhere as a large, calm backyard and exhibition breed.