Gab about guga

**kilted2000** · 30th January 22, 11:30 AM

In the Duolingo Scottish Gaelic course, they talk about guga or salted gannet found on the Isle of Lewis. Has anyone had this? I’m intrigued by the thought. How readily available is it on Lewis? I’m might be planning a trip to Scotland this September and would be interested in sampling it. I have googled it but there isn’t that much information about it.

**Jock Scot** · 30th January 22, 01:35 PM

When we were on Lewis a few years ago, I asked about guga and it appears that no one admits to have eaten it. One memorable reply was; “ you have to be B....y hungry before even thinking of eating that ....... stuff!”Besides we now have supermarkets! From that comment and a few others from around the area I got the assorted impression that it’s less dangerous and with more and better choices of food going to Morrison’s( supermarket).

**Nemuragh** · 30th January 22, 03:14 PM

I saw the BBC film ‘The Guga Hunters of Ness’ (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/gugahunters). The pictures of the guga harvest would deter most of us, I think.

John

**DCampbell16B** · 30th January 22, 04:09 PM

In fact I have eaten guga. I was staying with an older couple in Ness, Lewis in 1983 just to hear gaelic and try my my own. I was there when the guga boat came in. I went down to Am Port and watched and listened. I saw a fantastic pair of oars which I tried to replicate when I got back.

So guga is, or at least was, considered a delicacy by Niseachs. To get it you usually had to let the guga hunters know ahead of time. And yes, you had to be b-----y hungry to eat it. We tend to forget that folks in the Highlands and Islands were often b-----y hungry. The gentleman I was staying with told me when he was a boy they would catch the cudichean (little salt water minnows, I don't know the English), boil them in milk and drink the milk. The cudichs* were too small to eat alone. Anyway, that's the background as to was why the guga were hunted. Any food available was needed.

So, what does it taste like? If you can imagine a very salty eraser you'd be pretty close. Tough, rubbery, salty, and maybe overtones of burned feathers.

*Lewiseachs do (or did) tend to use "s" for plurals a lot. Other things too that are different.

I suppose I should post some of my adventures in Scotland. I'll have to dig into the journal I kept.

**DCampbell16B** · 30th January 22, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

When we were on Lewis a few years ago, I asked about guga and it appears that no one admits to have eaten it. One memorable reply was; “ you have to be B....y hungry before even thinking of eating that ....... stuff!”Besides we now have supermarkets! From that comment and a few others from around the area I got the assorted impression that it’s less dangerous and with more and better choices of food going to Morrison’s( supermarket).

Ah, well. You needed to be talking with a Niseach. Nobody else gets it.

**jfraser** · 30th January 22, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by DCampbell16B

......... I was staying with told me when he was a boy they would catch the cudichean (little salt water minnows, I don't know the English), boil them in milk and drink the milk. The cudichs* were too small to eat alone.
.............

Allowing for local variation in pronunciation ''Cudainn'' a coal fish sprat (young) or maybe a herring sprat "Sgadan-gearr" which were much more plentiful. Some fisher old folk use to talk about sprat and boiled milk. What it tasted like I don't know. Very salty I would think, just like herring which was salted in barrels for a winter food.

**figheadair** · 30th January 22, 11:38 PM

I've heard of it but never eaten it, nor am I sure that I'd wanted too. I imaginre that the taste and texture would be similar to Fulmar, Puffin and Heron, all of which were eaten at one time.