I am sure there are many things H could stand for, but as I was searching for a topic this week I thought I might want to change things up a bit. And for no reason at all Haggis–that peculiar Scottish treat–came to mind.
Scottish Haggis
What is haggis? Traditionally it is a pudding or sausage made of the “pluck” (lungs, heart, and liver) of a lamb or sheep, mixed with oatmeal, onion, suet, and seasonings, stuffed into the stomach of a sheep and cooked. It is often served with “neeps and tatties,” or turnips and potatoes as we might say.
Haggis with neeps and tatties
Ummm. Tasty.
Haggis is usually thought of as a traditional Scottish treat, but according to my research its origins are kind of murky. Mention of a haggis-like dish can be found in Homer’s Odessey –“a man before a great blazing fire turning swiftly this way and that a stomach full of fat and blood, very eager to have it roasted quickly.” The Oxford Companion to Food states that the ancient Romans made a type of viand similar to haggis. And in 2009, historian Catherine Brown found a recipe for the Scottish meal in a 1615 cookbook called The English Hus-Wife.
The Scots, however, are having none of that. Although first mention of haggis in Scotland does not come until 1747, Robert Patrick, a haggis maker, said in an article for BBC News, that claiming haggis as an English dish is tantamount to the Dutch and Chinese claiming to have invented golf. “Anything that’s to do with Scotland, everyone wants to get a part of.”
The most famous reference to the haggis is Robert Burns’ poem, “Address to a Haggis,” which begins:
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, sonsie=jolly
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place, Aboon=above
Painch, tripe, or thairm: painch=stomach; thairm=intestine Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace As lang’s my arm.
Robert Burns
“Address to a Haggis”
Every year Burns’ birthday, January 25, is celebrated with a Burns’ Supper where the main dish–a haggis of course– is piped into the dining room by bagpipers and the poem is recited before dinner is served.
Below is a traditional recipe for haggis:
Ingredients:
Set of sheep’s heart, lungs and liver (cleaned by a butcher)
Haggis at a Burns Supper
One beef bung (intestine)
3 cups finely chopped suet
One cup medium ground oatmeal
Two medium onions, finely chopped
One cup beef stock
One teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
One teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mace
Method:
Trim off any excess fat and sinew from the sheep’s intestine and, if present, discard the windpipe. Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to ensure that they are all tender. Drain and cool.
Finely chop the meat and combine in a large bowl with the suet, oatmeal, finely chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well. Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the beef bung which should be over half full. Then press out the air and tie the open ends tightly with string. Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. If it looks as though it may do that, prick with a sharp needle to reduce the pressure.
Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling vigorously to avoid bursting the skin.
Serve hot with “champit tatties and bashit neeps” (mashed/creamed potato and turnip/swede).
Unfortunately, I have not had the “pleasure” of eating haggis. It’s on my bucket list, however, and I’ll be hunting it down the next time I go to Scotland.
Have any of you had the good fortune to partake of this Scottish tradition?
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
Think I’ll pass… I won’t even eat scrapple….so I know this would be out. Grat post though!
LikeLike
Me faither was from Glesga and he claimed there’s only one way for a Scot to eat Haggis. He said it involves a gun on the table between two Scots. One holds the gun to the other’s head to make HIM eat it, and then he takes the gun and holds it to his fellow’s head to make HIM eat it! Growing up with a Scottish father was interesting…my friends would call the house just to hear him talk, then giggle to me, asking what he said. I learned the Scottish words for body parts and assumed everyone knew that you see with your eyne, hear with your lugs, smell with your neb, swallow with your thrapple, and all of those parts are on your fissog, which is the front of your heed. We ate hot pies, sausage rolls and bridies bought from the Gaelic Imports store in Chicago, and learned to “Pity the man who hears the pipes and was nae born in Scotland.” He’d drive us a long way to find a fish ‘n’ chips place that served actual ocean fish, as opposed to fresh water fish which he detested, and we’d always ask for the malt vinegar.
When he’d go back for a visit, he’d get called “a yank” by the locals, then when he came back here he’d get told no one could understand him because his accent was so thick.
What all of this means is that I can’t even read, let alone write romances involving Highlanders. It’s me faither’s accents, folks! EW! (grin). Though I must say that finding everyday kilts at http://www.stillwaterkilts.com was a find, and my Polish husband and two of our boys have kilts to wear to the local Renaissance Faire.
LikeLike
Another slam dunk post–and I learned something new today. But no matter what, I will not eat Haggis…gross.
LikeLike
Actually, here in Canada they celebrate Robbie Burns day as well, with pipers, haggis, the whole thing. Consequently, I’ve had “authentic” haggis. It’s really a huge sausage. I found it a little gamy (owing to the organ meats, no doubt), but acceptable. Especially with a little Scots courage to sip alongside. 🙂 Great topic for H, Jenna. But beware the oats. Many (not all) celiac disease sufferers cannot tolerate the gluten in oats.
LikeLike
I have never eaten Haggas, but unless it’s the last meal on earth or I have a gun to my head, I never will. It looks vile. Perhaps, if it actually smells good, if I became blind, and didn’t know what I ate, its possible that i could be tricked into giving it a fair chance. But otherwise, it’s not happening.
LikeLike
I’ll try anything (as long as it isn’t still moving). Food fascinates me. Like your post!!
LikeLike
I’m with Daryl. Although Eastern European’s make a dish called stuffed derma (kishka) which is regular stuffing made with chicken fat instead of oil, and it is then stuffed into a cow or sheep intestine.
Ick!
Tweeted
LikeLike
Might be thinking of going vegetarian after that. Fascinating post. Tweeted.
LikeLike
Sounds absolutely but too similar to ‘chitlins’ to totally dismiss. After Ella’s testimonial, I’m willing to try it. After all, chitlins are hog’s intestines, which are served boiled or fried. I take mine fried.
LikeLike
Had it once when our gourmet club did a Scottish dinner. I was definitely not turned on by it. I might add I did not like the Scotch Whiskey they were serving with it, either. The Scotch Eggs, however, were very nice (are they really Scottish?).
LikeLike
Now I’m hungry. I haven’t tried haggis. Sounds like something I’ll have to try and make to satisfy the little bit of Scottish blood in me.
LikeLike
Even though I am a Scot, I’ve never tried haggis, and it’s definitely not on my bucket list. Don’t they have Burns’s suppers where you live? There are lots where I live, so you don’t have to travel to Scotland to find haggis. I’m not sure you could even find it there on an ordinary day.
LikeLike
For those of a sensitive disposition the vegetarian option, preferably by Macsweens is excellent.
http://www.macsween.co.uk/our-products/macsween-vegetarian-haggis/
Might have to nip out to the shops and buy some now……..
LikeLike
i saw that there was a vegetarian option. My biggest question now is “Is haggis gluten -free?” It seems to be from the recipe, but one never knows when the odd spoonfuls of flour might be added. I’ll have to check. Thanks so much for the veg option, Kelvin! And for coming by.
LikeLike
It is certainly possible to get haggis that is certified gluten free. Best to check I guess.
LikeLike
I love haggis. It’s one of my favorite foods. Though I have been to a Burns dinner, and it’s more than just for the evening meal. We stayed at a hotel in Edinburgh where it was sliced and slightly sauteed for breakfast. I was in heaven. My husband wouldn’t touch it, but my son liked it. I also have it in The Temptation of Lady Serena. Tweeted.
LikeLike
Now i really want to try it! I’ll have to start looking into fares to Scotland and plan for a trip. A haggis expedition in the making. Thanks for coming by, Ella, and for the tweet!
LikeLike