Waylaid by whisky, an urban hunter vows to taste the offal dish
Haggis Hunter
With way too much information about the specific ingredients in haggis…
Story and photos by Laurie McAndish King
When I mentioned my upcoming trip to Scotland, friends didn’t ask whether I’d be tracking down the Loch Ness Monster or attending the Highland Games. They weren’t interested in my plans for visiting world-class golf courses or drinking fine single-malt Scotches. They were not concerned, either, with windswept moors or ancient castles.
They asked about haggis.
“Eeeew — you aren’t going to eat that awful stuff they make with intestines, are you?”
“It’s offal, not awful,” I would correct them, “and it’s the national dish.”
My friend Kate looked it up online. “It is a savory pudding traditionally made with oatmeal and sheep’s pluck — that’s the heart, liver, and lungs — and cooked in the animal’s stomach.”
“That’s disgusting.” I began to worry.
“It gets even worse,” Kate continued. “Haggis is often served with a classic side of bashed neeps — which is apparently Scottish for mashed turnips. That might be the actual definition of…
