The Offal Truth About American Haggis

[mookien]

Wow! That's fantastic. I'll bet your taxidermist had fun with that.

We were hunting them in hill country and our guide told us that the legs on one side of the haggis were shorter than on the other, so it could only run fast one way around the hill. Of course, we hunted them the other way, but we never did even see one! And that's the real "offal" truth about American haggis.

[TheOfficialBren]

Hmm. Interesting article. I had no idea that British beef and AUTHENTIC Scottish haggis were banned in the US. Total bunk!

[Deirachel]

PS: I have been both haggis and snipe hunting, but haven't bagged one, yet.

You'll have better luck with the snipe. They are non-mythical.

[madmacs]

Hmm. Interesting article. I had no idea that British beef and AUTHENTIC Scottish haggis were banned in the US. Total bunk!

Mad cow disease...

HM customs bans the import of jerky to offset it though...

[mookien]

Mad cow disease...

HM customs bans the import of jerky to offset it though...

That's probably because we Americans can be jerkys. On the other hand(edness) you don't want to mess with prions - bad business those.

[mookien]

You'll have better luck with the snipe. They are non-mythical.

I know that. We were hunting in the Texas hill country. Our guide assured us that haggis were just as plentiful in Texas as they are in Scotland. But, we never did see any.

[Babyvett]

LOL yall better be careful - yall are gonna cause some newbie to start the American Haggis Society - where they walk around with camera's and try to catch pictures of the elusive haggis for proof.. Kinda like Bigfoot ya know ;)

On another note, I told some friends I was making Scotch Eggs the other night, they thought I was making Mountain Oysters..... So I'm not surprised my fellow American's would think Haggis frolicked around the Highlands of Scotland.. lol

[mookien]

Now that you mention it, I never have seen a picture of a haggis, outside of a Burns dinner. Hmm?

They can't do a whole lot of frolicking around with legs shorter on one side than the other.

[Jock Scot]

LOL yall better be careful - yall are gonna cause some newbie to start the American Haggis Society - where they walk around with camera's and try to catch pictures of the elusive haggis for proof.. Kinda like Bigfoot ya know ;)

On another note, I told some friends I was making Scotch Eggs the other night, they thought I was making Mountain Oysters..... So I'm not surprised my fellow American's would think Haggis frolicked around the Highlands of Scotland.. lol

I well remember coming across a very earnest and determined party of Americans festooned with maps, compasses,binoculars and an array of cameras searching out the elusive haggis. I kid you not. The problem was, that they were some ten miles from the nearest road. After a fairly tricky conversation the stalker and I were able to escort them safely home, for safety's sake, as it was late in the afternoon. Perhaps they went "Nessie hunting" the next day?

[Wolfhound Jack]

*** to Mookien

... I'm in Lewisville myself, so I've seen young wild haggis running around these flatlands, the very same ones Caledonian kitchen grinds up into those cans. ;) They're especially thick around the lake shore.

For me, it's the texture of the ground heart, the taste of the liver & spices, and a bit of ground tripe to keep it light (which stands in for the lungs quite well) that keep the flavor where it needs to be.

....has to be made with suet though, too dense otherwise. I can always tell when they try to make shortening, butter, or oil stand in for the suet... or worse, use rolled oats.

I've had "authentic" and I've had the grey paste usually cooked up here in the states.... and frankly when I don't make it myself, I prefer Caledonian Kitchen's product. The spices are well balanced with the liver.