Who eats haggis?

**longshadows** · 13th April 06, 06:45 AM

(OK, this in not exactly "kilt related" and will probably be moved. I didn't know where to post it.

So, I've been told by friends that now that I'm wearing a kilt, the next thing is to eat haggis! Uh, with all due respect, does anyone really eat that stuff? It sound awful and the pictures I've seen don't look much better.

Can some of you describe your first "encounter" with a haggis? What was your impression? Do you still eat it and can you honestly say you enjoy it? I've even seen it sold in cans (tins) and there is even a vegetarian version!

(Guess that's one Scots gene that slipped out before it got to me.)

Cheers,

**Prester John** · 13th April 06, 06:53 AM

haha good question.

My son, who just got his bagpipes, eats and and loves it.

In fact, he recently had to do an advertisement for some kind of food product for English, one he made up himself. You guessed, Joe's Haggis.

He took a can in for the class to see that canned haggis is real. Then popped it open and ate it for lunch. He even got a few friends to try to (probably by insulting their manhood first - Joey is a very sweet and gentle kid - that had to be the last straw!)

It tastes like a non-spiced homemade sausage, which is all it really is. Not at all the gut-wrenching "dare" food we have been told.

**Mattg** · 13th April 06, 06:54 AM

I've been wondering the same thing lately. I've been tempted to order some haggis and find out, but I'm kinda worried

**arrogcow** · 13th April 06, 06:59 AM

I've never gone out of my way for it, but have had it several times at celighs (SP). It's really not bad, but I have never heard anything good about the canned stuff.

Adam

**dwg** · 13th April 06, 07:08 AM

I have not had Haggis but I know a man who eats it

Hamish !!!!every week !!!!

**TimC** · 13th April 06, 07:09 AM

It depends on who makes it. I've had really good haggis.....and then, I've had some really,really bad haggis. It's a tradition for me to eat it whenever it's served at the 'games' or a gathering but I've never tried the canned stuff.

**ByDand** · 13th April 06, 07:18 AM

I have eaten Haggis since I was a wee lad. My Grandmother came from Scotland and she made it on special occasions. I was born on January 25th and for the longest time I thought the Haggis was made for me, until I found out it was to celebrate Robbie Burns' birthday. She was a wonderful cook and although I still like eating Haggis (so's my wife) it just isn't as good as my Grandmother's. We lived on a farm and she made it from scratch! I haven't tried the canned kind but do order the frozen type every now and then. I still can't understand why we cannot import Haggis from Scotland!!! If anyone out there knows the reason, please let me know.

**auld argonian** · 13th April 06, 07:22 AM

Haven't had the pleasure yet but I have to guess that, as someone mentioned earlier, there's good haggis and bad haggis. I sincerely hope that I can find the good stuff when I take the ethnic plunge....it might be well worth it to wait until I get a chance to go to Scotland where they probably know how to do it right. I've seen so many recipes for haggis where they've "cleaned up" the ingredients and substituted better cuts of meat and whatever for the traditional ingredients...a lot like contemporary soul food cuisine that evolved from the slaves diet of "whatever the folks in the big house didn't want". (Loose analogy here...please don't beat me up over this comparison.)

My dad's side fo the family is of Polish extraction and I can't begin to tell you about some of the "delicacies" that they used to enjoy...compared to ducks' blood soup I think that haggis holds no terror!

Best

AA

**macwilkin** · 13th April 06, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by arrogcow

I've never gone out of my way for it, but have had it several times at celighs (SP). It's really not bad, but I have never heard anything good about the canned stuff.

Adam

Actually, the tinned Haggis is pretty good. We use the tinned Haggis from the Caledonian Kitchen in Texas (www.caledoniankitchen.com) for our Burns Supper, and all of our Scots expats have pronounced it "bully", as TR would say.

I am a "Haggis junkie", eat it every chance I can get. I first tried Haggis at my first Burns Supper many years ago, and I have been a devotee ever since, and yes, I've had good Haggis and bad Haggis alike over the years. I don't know how many people I've met who turn their nose up at Haggis, only to try it and discover how much they like it!

If you want to try something like it, the closest thing I have found is Boudin Blanc, a Cajun/French white sausage that uses rice instead of oatmeal.

My dad's side fo the family is of Polish extraction and I can't begin to tell you about some of the "delicacies" that they used to enjoy...compared to ducks' blood soup I think that haggis holds no terror!

We used to get duck blood soup at a Polish festival at the wee village of Pulaskifield, about 60 miles south of Springfield -- we stopped going when they replaced the traditional Polish music with Garth Brooks!

Cheers,

Todd

**mbhandy** · 13th April 06, 07:38 AM

I have had haggis in Scotland and last Burn's Dinner (frozen) in Salt Lake. If I remember right the Haggis in Scotland was better than the Burn's Dinner but that was 35 years ago. Once I added the juice from the Prime rib it was fine. So and They ran out of Haggis at the Dinner if that is any indication of how good it was.

MrBill