Trying Haggis!!

Al, my new Scottish friend described Haggis like this, “You know at the beginning of the week when you do your groceries and you take them home, you always eat the best stuff first right? Then at the end of the week you go and look in the pantry and there’s nothing good left – that’s Haggis.” So there you have it, a true Highlanders description of Scotland’s National Dish.

So what exactly is Haggis? Well it’s all the left over bits of the sheep (heart, liver, lungs, sometimes brain or kidneys) mashed up with some onions and spices, traditionally served in the sheep’s stomach. Yum. I wasn’t particularly excited to try this dish, as I generally try to avoid eating sheep’s pluck but when in Rome so they say…

And it really wasn’t that bad! I tried it as a deep fried patty (because if you are going to try something scary, might as well deep fry it and it will probably turn out alright) and it was actually pretty delicious! Tasted like a savory meat pie.

On menus you will see Haggis offered with Neeps and Tatties – Neeps being turnips and Tatties being mashed potatoes. Make sure you also order a dram of whiskey to enjoy the dish like a true Scot. Be brave and give it a go. If you are hesitant about it order it as an appetizer so you can just taste it and not commit to a whole meal.

Thanks for sharing my adventures with me!