British food and Scottish food have had an undeserved reputation of being bland and unimaginative. What the cuisines may lack in spice make up for in heartiness and creative use of local delicacies. The influx of foreign populations has influenced many dishes, with curry now as common as Cornish pasties. However, modernization brings with it less time for traditional fare and more fast food and take-away.
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Scotland is a beautiful place to be for Christmas and Hogmanay. It may appear as thought the season is getting longer with adverts beginning sometime in October, so it seems like a good idea to think about Christmas itself, and what it means.
Haggis is national Scottish dish. I bet almost everyone knows, what it is: sheep’s stomach filled with intestines. Gross! The truth is, some people love it, some are terrified even at the sound of “H” word. It is everything but indifferent to people.
[photo by: pjf@cpan who describes Haggis like that "The ingredients for haggis sound disgusting, but it's actually really tasty!"]
If you want, you can make haggis yourself. Of course it’s possible, although in Scotland no one makes their own haggis – you just go to the restaurant or buy it at butcher’s. Below is an authentic recipe from Scotland: Czytaj całość »
Image via Wikipedia
Of course, the title is provocative…because….
Some people tend to think about Scottish cuisine as inedible. Why? Is it really that bad? Are Scots truly so odd when it comes to food matters? Well, iconic dish of Scotland is haggis. It brings out disgusted “yuck!” from almost everyone, especially people who… had never tried it! But it’s not all about haggis. What are others mysteries of Scottish dishes, not disgusting at all? Let’s find out.
This traditional Scottish soup is made from mutton. If possible, it should be cooked very long, until it becomes really tender, then left overnight. Scotch Broth is very thick, filled with chunks of meat and vegetables. Should be served piping hot. Czytaj całość »
Haggis is a traditional Scottish highland dish that resembles, in some senses, a rather rough sausage. It is the national dish of Scotland, and Robert Burns, the great Scots poet, who wrote the famous “Address to a Haggis” called the haggis the “chieftain o’ the puddin-race.” It is a staple of Scottish cuisine, and is served in the traditional manner, as well as in the “haggis supper” (deep fried haggis with a side of French fries) or even as a haggis burger. It is sold prepared in supermarkets year round. But what is actually in this mysterious and oft-misunderstood food?
Though the traditional response to the question “what is a haggis?” is often answered with a joke about a small highland animal with one pair of legs shorter than the other (to more easily circle the highland hills), the truth is that it is a food designed to let no part of the animal go to waste – hence its popularity amongst the poor in the days of Burns.
While it is sometimes made of deer, the haggis is more often based on sheep. It is a combination of oatmeal and several meats. Normally, the sheep’s “pluck” or offal is removed, including heart, liver, and lungs (or “lights”). This is ground, heavily spiced, and combined with onion, suet, spices, and salt. The oatmeal and the other ingredients are mixed with stock and stuffed inside a sheep’s stomach. This is the haggis, and it is then boiled and served. Of course, in modern times, a real stomach is just as often replaced with an artificial casing, and vegetarian-friendly ingredients may replace meat and offal.
Haggis is often served with “neeps and tatties” A “neep” is swede, or rutabaga, and is shortened from “Swedish turnip.” Tatties are mashed potatoes. Of course, haggis would not be complete without a “dram” of whisky to wash it down, a tradition referred to as “neeps and nips”.
Traditionally, haggis is served at Burns Suppers, on January 25 of each year. That these events, someone recites the “Address to a Haggis.” It is then doused with a shot of Scotch whisky and cut with a dirk, a large knife that is a traditional highland sidearm. Often, the haggis is paraded in with a bagpiper. Czytaj całość »