While gaggis may be the national dish of Scotland, it is certainly not a dish you would normally see on a Canadian dining room table. In fact, if you are of Scottish decent but living outside of Scotland, you may only see haggis once a year at special occasions.
The origin of haggis is unclear, at best. Most people believe that the dish stems from the 15th century, while others have found a similarity in a dish mentioned as early as Homer in the Odyssey. Either way, haggis is a hearty and healthy dish that has a long standing folklore and importance to Scottish culture. The most common story is one in which haggis was prepared for the Scottish men who would embark on a long journey to lead their cattle to market. Haggis was prepared by the wives as a nutrient-rich meal that would provide them the strength and energy to make it the whole way. It was a way for the poor to use up the remaining of their meat stock and not let anything go to waste.
My family comes from a mix of Irish and Scottish settlers, but as true Nova Scotians, many of our rituals during the holidays expose our true Scottish heritage. Amid the bagpipes and kilted costumes, haggis is served as a special meal when family and friends gather together. The dish is usually made at a house other than the one hosting the gathering as it leaves a smell so strong, it would drive anyone away. The hardest part, with looks and smell combined, is mustering the courage to take the first bite, especially as a young child. Being one of six children, I remember daring each other to be the first of the children to actually try it. More often than not, no one would actually do it. I just remember growing up with the notion that I did not like haggis and refused it as it was passed around the dining room table. Eventually, as I grew older, I was no longer afraid to try it and it became the delicacy at the Christmas dinner table. As long as I told myself that it wasn’t made of sheep parts, I could partake in the richness of my culture.
Haggis, believe it or not, is not as localized to Nova Scotia as I had originally thought. Since moving to Quebec, I have discovered a place in Ontario called Muir’s Bakery that delivers haggis to Montreal. And, if your craving for haggis can’t wait, you can find haggis in a can at Bramble House in Pointe Claire, although I would always recommend the version made from scratch. Since becoming a semi-vegetarian, I will likely not eat it any time in the future but I suggest to anyone who has the “stomach” for something new, to give it a try.
The origin of haggis is unclear, at best. Most people believe that the dish stems from the 15th century, while others have found a similarity in a dish mentioned as early as Homer in the Odyssey. Either way, haggis is a hearty and healthy dish that has a long standing folklore and importance to Scottish culture. The most common story is one in which haggis was prepared for the Scottish men who would embark on a long journey to lead their cattle to market. Haggis was prepared by the wives as a nutrient-rich meal that would provide them the strength and energy to make it the whole way. It was a way for the poor to use up the remaining of their meat stock and not let anything go to waste.
My family comes from a mix of Irish and Scottish settlers, but as true Nova Scotians, many of our rituals during the holidays expose our true Scottish heritage. Amid the bagpipes and kilted costumes, haggis is served as a special meal when family and friends gather together. The dish is usually made at a house other than the one hosting the gathering as it leaves a smell so strong, it would drive anyone away. The hardest part, with looks and smell combined, is mustering the courage to take the first bite, especially as a young child. Being one of six children, I remember daring each other to be the first of the children to actually try it. More often than not, no one would actually do it. I just remember growing up with the notion that I did not like haggis and refused it as it was passed around the dining room table. Eventually, as I grew older, I was no longer afraid to try it and it became the delicacy at the Christmas dinner table. As long as I told myself that it wasn’t made of sheep parts, I could partake in the richness of my culture.
Haggis, believe it or not, is not as localized to Nova Scotia as I had originally thought. Since moving to Quebec, I have discovered a place in Ontario called Muir’s Bakery that delivers haggis to Montreal. And, if your craving for haggis can’t wait, you can find haggis in a can at Bramble House in Pointe Claire, although I would always recommend the version made from scratch. Since becoming a semi-vegetarian, I will likely not eat it any time in the future but I suggest to anyone who has the “stomach” for something new, to give it a try.
Recipe
Ingredients
– sheep pluck
– 1 sheep stomach
– 1 sheep liver
– 1 sheep heart
– 1 sheep tongue or lungs
– ½ pound suet, minced (fatty tissue around the loins and kidneys)
– 3 medium onions, minced
– ½ lb dry oats, toasted
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– ½ tsp ground black pepper
– 1 tsp dried ground herbs (cloves, nutmeg, or others to taste)
Procedure
- Rinse the stomach thoroughly and soak overnight in cold, salted water.
- Rinse the liver, heart, and tongue. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook these parts over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove and mince. Remove any gristle or skin and discard.
- In a large bowl, combine the minced liver, heart, tongue, suet, onions, and toasted oats. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs of choice. Moisten with some of the cooking water so the mixture binds.
- Remove the stomach from the cold, salted water and fill ⅔ with the mixture. Sew or tie the stomach closed. Use a turning fork to pierce the stomach several times. This will prevent the haggis from bursting.
- In a large pot of boiling water, gently place the filled stomach, being careful not to splash. Cook over high heat for 3 hours.
Photo source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4aGvPRqCNy95ycYqkrxeogseY-khqlyLwrfn8B9gEQpJ6C-g1y-ZwT9uKkZW46CGa3d-T64uWM5NTqiFrWbFzok7Zs9g_8fGzk8jbi1xOuooZtxPOqaKTrrfIsi_hcvZII1T8GyWEWI/s1600/haggis.JPG
