Scotland’s National Dish

There are many reasons to visit Scotland. The landscape is nothing short of spectacular whether you are visiting the highlands, the lowlands or the coast.

The country has a long and fascinating history and the towns and cities, particularly Glasgow and Edinburgh, have an enormously rich cultural heritage. It even boasts a famously elusive monster that apparently dwells in its biggest lake, Loch Ness.

Food-wise, Scotland has so much to offer. With a long, beautiful and often dramatic coastline, the seafood is top quality. With plenty of grazing land Scottish meats are also fantastic – notably the beef, pork and lamb. And then, of course, there’s the whisky (always spelt whisky, not whiskey) – with distilleries scattered all over the country.

Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

Scotland’s national dish is haggis.

The first rule of haggis is: do not think about haggis.

The second rule of haggis is: do not think about haggis.

Haggis is comprised of the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep, all ground up together, mixed with oats and spices, and then boiled inside the stomach of a sheep.  Yes, it is basically boiled offal. And anyone who has ever tasted nasty grey liver which had been boiled until it could bounce for their school dinners are likely to have been put off offal for life. Offal does have a strong flavour and, when cooked badly, a horrible texture. Haggis is great because it uses all parts of the animal to the full – nothing is wasted – which is as it should be.  And having tasted it (while trying very hard not to think about it)… it is genuinely delicious. Maybe it has an additional ingredient of magic because those components shouldn’t work and yet they really do.

Vegetarian haggis is also available for vegetarians/vegans or those who really can’t stomach the idea of stomach-boiled-offal. Vegetarian haggis uses the same oats and spices combination but replaces the meat with nuts and seeds. It tastes the same as conventional haggis but has a different texture that is really nutty and also absolutely delicious.

Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties. Neeps are turnips (to the Scots but actually swede to the English and the Welsh – probably) and tatties are potatoes (for which there is very little possible ambiguity).

Both vegetables are boiled and either diced or mashed before serving. The whole meal is hearty and filling.

Poet Robert Burns wrote one of his best known poems ‘Address to a Haggis‘ in 1787, in which he proclaims his admiration for the “great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race.” It is traditional to eat haggis on Burns Night, the 25^th January (the poet’s birthday), where the Burns Supper comprising haggis is consumed along with some good whisky. Burns’ poems are also recited. The tradition started a few years after Burns’ death when his friends set up a meeting to commemorate his life and works. There is a conventional order to proceedings including a ceremonial slicing of the haggis.

If you fancy making haggis, neeps and tatties, there is a recipe here.

It’s essential to enjoy the dish with a wee dram.

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