Haggis

This article is about the Scottish dish. For other uses, see Haggis (disambiguation).
Haggis
Haggis displayed for sale
TypePudding
Place of originScotland
Associated cuisineScottish
Main ingredientsSheep's heart, liver and lungs, and stomach (or sausage casing); onion, oatmeal, suet, spices
Haggis on a platter at a Burns supper
A serving of haggis, neeps, and tatties

Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis [ˈtʰakʲɪʃ]) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach[1] though now an artificial casing is often used instead. According to the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique: "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour".[2]

It is believed that food similar to haggis — perishable offal quickly cooked inside an animal's stomach, all conveniently available after a hunt — was eaten from ancient times.[3][4][5]

Although the name "hagws" or "hagese" was first recorded in England c. 1430, the dish is considered traditionally of Scottish origin. It is even the national dish,[6] as a result of Scots poet Robert Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis" of 1786. Haggis is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties", boiled and mashed separately, and a dram (a glass of Scotch whisky), especially as the main course of a Burns supper.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference OED was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Montagné, Prosper (2001). Larousse Gastronomique. p. 592.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rome was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference necessity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference cdr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Food and Drink in Scotland – Scottish Cuisine". Scotland.org.