Information about Giblets

Giblets are the edible offal of a fowl, typically including the heart, gizzard, liver, and other visceral organs. The term is culinary usage only; zoologists do not refer to the "giblets" of a bird. Giblets is pronounced with a "soft g" sound as opposed to a "hard g", as in gizzard.

A whole bird from a butcher is often packaged with the giblets (sometimes sealed in a bag in the body cavity). Although it does not technically fit the definition above, the neck is often included with the giblets, as it must be separated from the body during the process of butchering.

There are a number of recipes that use giblets. If a bird is to be stuffed, the giblets are traditionally chopped and added to the stuffing. If not, they can be used for other purposes, such as giblet pie. The liver is not usually included in these recipes, as its strong flavor tends to overpower other ingredients. It may be used in liver-specific recipes, such as pâté or yakitori. Giblets can also be used to make alicot, a French stew.

Much poultry, especially that sold in supermarkets, is quartered and consequently the giblets are not included. Giblets can be bought separately from a butcher, but the demand for human consumption is low in most Western countries, so they are more often sold to pet food manufacturers.