What is haggis
What is haggis
Haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled.
Though regarded since the mid-18th century as a distinctively Scottish dish, it was long popular in England, as English writer Gervase Markham (c. 1568–1637) testified in The English Huswife (1615). Its origin, however, is still more ancient, for Marcus Apicius, Aristophanes, and even Homer allude to dishes of similar composition. The derivation of the term haggis, first attested in the 15th century, is unknown.
Haggis is inexpensive, savory, and nourishing. In Scotland it formerly was considered a rustic dish and was so celebrated in Robert Burns’s lines “To a Haggis” (1786), but in the 21st century haggis is served with some ceremony, even bagpipes, particularly on Burns Night (held annually on January 25, Burns’s birthday) and Hogmanay, as the Scots call their New Year’s celebrations.
Haggis is usually accompanied by turnips (called “swedes” or “neeps”) and mashed potatoes (“tatties”); Scotch whisky is the customary drink.
What Does Haggis Taste Like?
For less adventurous eaters, the delicacy is often best enjoyed blind, at least until you develop a taste for it. "I ate it in Scotland in middle school and loved it. I thought it was meatloaf," explains Cristy Daly, of Cumming, Georgia. "When I found out what it was, I equated it to a hot dog so I could continue eating it."
Michelle Brownlee, of Spring Hill, Tennessee, was less enamored. "It was like someone married creamy oatmeal and meatloaf," she says. "The texture is all kinds of wrong."
Love it or loathe it, haggis isn't likely to become a stateside staple anytime soon, as the authentic version has been banned from import in the U.S. since 1971. This is because the U.S. Department of Agriculture decreed that livestock lungs cannot be used as food for humans because they can contain stomach fluid, which is a serious foodborne illness risk. (You can buy haggis in the U.S., albeit one made without the all-important sheep's lungs.)
Still, some Americans with Scottish roots attempt to make or buy lungless haggis every year in recognition of Burns Night (January 25). The event is widely celebrated in Scotland, and is named in honor of beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns who penned "Address to a Haggis," following a 1786 supper in Edinburgh, Brown says. In the poem, he refers to haggis as "the Great chieftain o' the pudding-race." "After the poem, the pudding is slashed open, and the supper begins," Brown says. "For a Burns Supper it is served with mashed potatoes and turnip. Along with drams of whisky."
The Scottish fondness for this delicacy has not faded with time. "Haggis is massively important to the Scottish culture. It is one of the most popular words used on the internet when people are looking to visit Scotland — almost as popular as the whisky industry," Callaghan says. It's so appreciated that it's eaten throughout the year, not just on Burns Night, he notes.
How to Make Haggis
Haggis probably isn't the easiest dish to try on your own, but far be it from us to tell you not to give it a go. "If you wanted to make your own, I would buy all the ingredients for a good quality independent family butcher. They would supply you with the correct spices and Haggis skins and give you instruction on how to make your Haggis," Callaghan suggests. Bonus points if you can find a Scottish butcher. Check out this recipe from Callaghan for authentic haggis, and "lang may yer lum reek," (that's, "good luck and good fortune" in Scottish).
Ingredients
1 lamb's heart
1 lamb's liver
1 set of lamb's lungs (known as "plucks")*
Minced lamb fat
Pinhead (steel cut) oatmeal
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
sheep's stomach (or cooking bag)
Preparation
Place plucks in a pan of water and bring to a boil.
Simmer for approximately one hour until thoroughly cooked. Reserve the stock.
Whatever the weight of the cooked plucks is, add 50 percent weight in minced lamb fat, 30 percent pinhead oatmeal, and 30 percent fresh diced onion.
Mince the cooked plucks, and mix in the fat, onion and pinhead oatmeal.
Add hot, reserved stock to mix.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Fill sheep's stomach (or cooking bag) with haggis mixture.
Tie up stomach bag securely with cooking string and place in pot of simmering water. Cook until haggis begins to float, approximately 40 minutes. Don't overcook or haggis could burst open.
Remove from water and serve immediately.
What is haggis made of?
A traditional Scottish haggis is made with the sheep's liver, kidney and lungs.
Why is haggis illegal in the United States?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture decreed that livestock lungs cannot be used as food for humans because they can contain stomach fluid, which is a serious foodborne illness risk.
What does haggis taste like?
Some describe it as tasting like meatloaf.
Why is haggis a traditional Scottish food?
Legend has it that it first originated during the Viking raids of Scotland (794 C.E.); however there are reports of an offal type of food being regularly eaten throughout Scotland well before this period.
Is haggis a real animal?
No, haggis is a food usually made with a sheep's liver, kidney and lungs.
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Note: American readers who can't get hold of sheep lungs can try this simplified recipe from Caroline's Cooking that uses ground lamb and chicken livers.
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