Haggis

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. It is basically a weighty sausage. Although there are many recipes, some of which use deer offal, it is normally made with the following ingredients: sheep's heart, liver, and lungs (or "lights"), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for several hours. In this it somewhat resembles other stuffed intestines, otherwise known as sausages, of which it is among the largest types. There are also meat-free recipes specifically for vegetarians which taste very similar to the meat-based recipes.

Odd Facts and pop culture

Since many countries' food safety laws outlaw some of the ingredients in haggis (for example, United States law forbids the sale of any animal's lungs for human consumption), expatriate Scots and Scots descendants overseas have been known to engage in haggis smuggling to obtain true Scottish haggis. At least one American company produces haggis for the U.S. market. The Caledonian Kitchen, a Dallas, Texas based gourmet business, began producing a both a Highland beef and vegetarian haggis commercially in 1999. Its haggis is in wide distribution throughout the US.

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Haggis is an amusing subject for many people. Those who ask a Scotsman for information about it will rarely get a straight answer. A common "answer" to the question "What is a haggis?" often goes along the following lines. "A haggis is a small four-legged Scottish Highland creature, which has the limbs on one side shorter than the other side. This means that it is well adapted to run around the hills at a steady altitude, without either ascending or descending. However a haggis can easily be caught by running around the hill in the opposite direction." (see Wild Haggis) Surprisingly the humorous myth is believed by many tourists, thus they are shocked - and possibly disappointed - to hear the truth. (See also sidehill gouger.)

Related Topics:
Wild Haggis - Sidehill gouger

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Haggis is also used in a sport called haggis hurling, involving throwing a haggis as far as possible. The present World Record for Haggis Hurling has been held by Alan Pettigrew for over 18 years. He threw a 1lb 8 oz Haggis, an astonishing 180 feet, 10 inches on the island of Inchmurrin on Loch Lomond in August 1984.

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