JINAN — Foie gras, an ingredient traditionally used in upscale Western cuisine, has become trendy in an East China enclave.

Nowadays, goose livers — from which foie gras is made — produced in Linqu county, a mountainous region in Shandong province, have been used as an ingredient in a variety of food products, including dumplings and ice cream. These offerings have found popularity both domestically and abroad.

The fatty, juicy livers have become a cash cow for the inhabitants of Linqu. In the decades since Landes geese were first introduced to the county, nestled among the towering Mengshan Mountain and Yishui River in 1988, a whole industrial chain involving the birds, including breeding, processing, sales, and research and development, has taken shape.

Currently, Linqu boasts over 100 foie gras-related companies, generating an annual output of over 5,000 metric tons of goose livers valued at more than 8 billion yuan ($1.13 billion), according to local authorities. Remarkably, roughly 70 percent of China's foie gras originates from the county.

Shandong Zunrun Sanrougey Food Co, a Linqu-based enterprise engaged in goose breeding and foie gras production and processing, has developed more than 20 types of foie gras products, with annual sales of about 300 million yuan, said Gao Yuanliang, who is in charge of the company.

In addition to the R&D and production of foie gras, the company also actively promotes goose sales and processing of down clothing accessories to maximize the utilization of goose resources and further extend the value chain in the goose industry, Gao added. To date, foie gras produced by many enterprises in Linqu has found its way to markets in countries such as France, Italy and Australia. The main customers of Linqu's foie gras are high-end Western and Japanese restaurants.

The consumption potential for foie gras products in the household consumer market still needs to be tapped, said Ye Sen, a local official, adding that local authorities will help enterprises expand their offerings to supermarkets in the future, so that common people will have access to foie gras products.