Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Cluin Date: 27 Aug 05 - 02:00 AM "Is Haggis Necessary?" Well, it's pretty uncalled-for... |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Peace Date: 26 Aug 05 - 11:15 PM Does anyone want to add kimchee to the meal? |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 26 Aug 05 - 08:11 PM Thank you. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: bobad Date: 26 Aug 05 - 08:04 PM Garum is the name of that Roman fish sauce. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 26 Aug 05 - 07:58 PM Sounds good to me. Mind you, those "fish guts" sound very like Gentleman's Relish (essentially anchovy paste) or perhaps a fermented fish product popular in Rome a couple of thousand years back, the name of which I forget. Probably best eaten on toast, in any case. I've also eaten a Corsican goat-milk cheese that is buried for a couple of years in an ash-heap in small earthenware pots in order to mature. That winds up as a salty, very strong-flavoured grey paste as well, come to that. You can still taste it days later. It all comes down, more or less, to anchovies in the end. Haggis is mild as blancmange by comparison. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Peace Date: 26 Aug 05 - 01:05 AM What a fitting repast: Haggis and dandelion greens prepared as indicated by Spaw. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: catspaw49 Date: 26 Aug 05 - 12:28 AM Haggis is totally unneeded in a world where Dandelion greens sauteed in Olive Oil and Red Wine, and sprinkled with Romano is available. Spaw |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST,Seonaid Date: 25 Aug 05 - 10:51 PM Och, Malcolm, ye'r aye o'er dour... Yes, Clan MacColin is a "re-enactment club," but they're not in the least "confused" about haggis. They've been known to serve the real stuff (with the appropriate Burns address) at Hogmanay and other occasions. (Never mind that sheep guts aren't legal imports into the USA. They have their sources.) But I just offered *my* favorite haggis recipe... with a smile.... By the way, I have tried the vegetarian haggis option. My opinion? Well, eat it if you *must*... For the truly sturdy, there's an Asian relative. It's a little jar of unclassifyable grey goo, helpfully labeled "Fish Guts." (The ingredients are listed as "fish guts, salt"). More punch than a paunch, I'll wager. But I didn't have the -- er -- stomach for it, so no review is included. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST,Wherriebob Date: 23 Aug 05 - 06:10 AM Haggis is, of course, a very necessary part of the proceedings at the yearly celebrations all over the Globe, of the birthday of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns. In keeping with many of the themes of Burns's poems its very existence on the table is a reminder of the commonness of mankind and the poverty that surrounds us; that basic food is a true manifest symbol. The address to the Haggis, recited well in the proceedings is humerous and poignant. I love Haggis. Steamed or shallow fried...with or without bashed Neeps and champit (roughly mashed) tatties. I, an the warl o'er, could dae weel withoot "mindblaster" the loon wha fares on Chips (aye the muckle yin abune his shouther)...but not Haggis. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Tattie Bogle Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:24 PM By the way (as they say so frequently in Glasgow) "whiskey" is Irish, WHISKY is the Scottish drink! TB |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 19 Aug 05 - 10:29 PM "Clan MacColin" appears to be some sort of American re-enactment club with some rather odd ideas about history, so it isn't so very surprising that they are confused about haggis. They probably also imagine that Wm Wallace painted himself with woad while playing the woollen bagpipes and the ancient pre-christian bodhran. Meatloaf? Brooklyn "Scots", perhaps? |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST,Seonaid Date: 19 Aug 05 - 09:37 PM Herewith, my favorite haggis recipe, published in the Clan MacColin newsletter many years ago: "Get everyone drunk and serve a meatloaf. No one will notice the difference." As to music, if you need to *sing* something, go for some good parodies. "Bannockburn", which the Corries sang to the tune of "Battle of New Orleans" (OK, "8th of January"...), should go over well, if I know the South; especially now that everyone has heard of Wm Wallace. Also, there's "Hamlet" to the tune of "The Mason's Apron" -- very dialectish, but a crackup for any Scots in the house. Good luck! |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Pauline L Date: 18 Aug 05 - 10:14 PM Yuk! Indigestion! |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 18 Aug 05 - 06:14 PM Er... are Squirrel Heads Necsessary? The squirrels think so. Dave Oesterreich |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MissouriMud Date: 18 Aug 05 - 11:16 AM TW - no need to apologize - I caught your humor. And you are right about Old Time Musicians eating habits - with Squirrels Heads and Gravy, Shove the Pigs Foot a little Closer to the Fire, Bennie Ate a Woodchuck, etc., who are we to turn up our nose at Haggis! Er... are Squirrel Heads Necsessary? |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Tannywheeler Date: 17 Aug 05 - 08:03 PM Consarned lowvoiced duck==base canard==insult. I meant (tongue-in-cheekily) to suggest that you were insulting musicians...sorry. (Aside: I've never heard of very many musicians, 'specially in the trad/oldtimey genre, afraid of different FOOD, either.) Tw |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MissouriMud Date: 17 Aug 05 - 11:42 AM I'm not sure we have a lot of other makes available here and I don't think I am motivated enough to send away for the stuff. With respect to the hard work issue raised by Tannywheeler - a couple of thoughts - I do work hard at the music, and I know many others work harder at it than I - but for my purposes I dont consider it hard work, probably since I dont rely on it for my livlihood. While I can work up a pretty good sweat and thirst on the faster tunes, and practices and research are time consuming, it remains an enjoyable passion and not true work for me. That being said, I'm not quite sure what a "Consarned lowvoicedduck" is. Is it anything like a lilly livered codswoggler? It sounds suspiciously like something on the Pub menu - but if I did know, I'm sure I would resent being called it and would refuse to apologise. However, on the off chance that the term is accurately applied to someone who isnt sure it is worth the effort to learn a bunch of new Scottish tunes, in addition to the new tunes he was already trying to learn that seem to fit his more Ozarkian style and repertoire better, simply because a guy in a skirt brought him sheep gut, I am willing to consider amends: I did note in the Fiddlers Companion that there are two tunes: The Haggis, and The Haggis of Dunbar (Haggies o' Dumbar) - I would consider learning them and trying to get my fiddle and banjo mates to do the same - but only if the "Consarned lowvoicedduck" thing proves out. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: John MacKenzie Date: 17 Aug 05 - 10:23 AM Well like your whisky dressings I recommend you try other makes of haggis when you get the chance, as they too like the Uisge Beath come in many varieties some of which are good and some crap. Giok |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MissouriMud Date: 17 Aug 05 - 10:13 AM Well I tried it this week - Not good, not bad, and probably not worth the fuss. It did seem better with a bit of whiskey on it, but I think next time I'll just have the whiskey. The neeps (mashed)on the other hand were very good - particularly with a little salt and a bit more of that whiskey. The food did not seem to affect our play significantly, although I did find myself during Hangman's Reel inexplicably trying to imitate a bagpipe drone on my lower guitar strings. That may have been more related to the amount of various Scots beverages I was sampling. The folks in the pub appeared too busy eating their haggis to notice or care. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Schantieman Date: 17 Aug 05 - 03:48 AM Haggis, of course, live on Scottish mountains and spend their whole lives running round the mountain the same way. Consequently the legs on one side are shorter than those on the other. This makes them easy to catch during the haggis hunting season (31st November - 1st December) as all you have to do is chase them the other way round. They fall over and roll down the hill to a net held open at the bottom on red deer antlers stuck in the ground. I do quite like them boiled (and try not to think about the contents, a bit like anything containing spinach) but will have to try baking one. Neeps, incidentally, are not what I (a nesh southerner) think of as turnips (the white tennis-ball sized roots with purple bits at the top) but swedes (aka Swedish turnips - the much bigger orange ones). I shall now duck while a Scot shoots me down in flames. ('scuse the mixed metaphor!) Steve |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Tattie Bogle Date: 16 Aug 05 - 05:47 PM We usually cut it into thick slices and SHALLOW fry it (no deep-frying or batter) You don't have to eat the "skin" which to some is the disgusting part: the middle is VERY tasty! However if you do the above, make sure your frying pan has a lid or a spatter guard, or you'll have popping pearl barley decorating your walls! And don't forget the whisky! Con jarleyborn!! TB |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Tannywheeler Date: 15 Aug 05 - 06:00 PM So, Missouri Mud, do I understand you to suggest that musicians, especially trad/oldtimey, are afraid of/averse to "...hard work"? Consarned lowvoicedduck if I ever heard one. You take that back. Apologize. (Learning more music being classified as "hard work" might mean you're in the wrong business, as well.) Tw |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Pauline L Date: 15 Aug 05 - 04:50 PM I have experience with "edible" entrails in a meal from a different culture. On a visit to a local Chinese restaurant with a Chinese friend, she told me that she would order from the Chinese menu, but she didn't want to be tough on me, so I could order from the American menu. I could not stand the challenge, so I told her that I'd eat whatever she ate. She ordered two interesting dishes. One was made of intestines of I-forget-what species. I was brave enough to try it, and I found that it was really, really slimy. I couldn't eat it. The second dish had duck's blood as a majour ingredient. I thought of gravy from roast beef, which is based on blood, and blood sausage, so I figured this dish would be OK. As soon as I saw the food, I cried, "Oh, no! They forget to put in the heparin." It was clotted in big chunks, and it certainly looked like blood. I was brave enough to try it, and it was way, way too salty for me. After this, I retreated to the American menu. I'm still skeptical about haggis. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Bill D Date: 15 Aug 05 - 12:28 PM gem, Giok? That is truly....ummmm....fascinating |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: John MacKenzie Date: 15 Aug 05 - 11:06 AM Was looking for info on mirowaveable haggis when I came across this gem Giok |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: rumgumption Date: 15 Aug 05 - 10:57 AM In Canadian and northern US Scottish games (possibly elsewhere?) one often sees a 'haggis throw' or 'haggis toss' event. It's sometimes said to have started off as a method of delivering lunch across a small river--believe it if you like! Aside from pet beavers, I don't think anyone tastes the caber. I've avoided haggis since eating some flabby boiled stuff that I suspect came from a tin. After reading this thread, perhaps I'll reconsider if I come across it baked or roasted. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Bill D Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:59 AM I first encountered Scottish customs up close at a Scottish games festival in Virginia, USA...where they threw the caber and tasted Haggis. I heard one person remark that they had it all backwards. I, myself will reserve judgement until I am offered some done, as noted above, correctly......and I think I would prefer the baked type. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Kim C Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:52 AM Yes. Haggis is necessary. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: John MacKenzie Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:35 AM As in Umble Pie Giok |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:17 AM I totally agree withyou mindblaster - we also want get rid of the scotch scum in the english parliament. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: mindblaster Date: 15 Aug 05 - 08:44 AM Only trouble is Dirtland has no culture! Unless you call a bunch of mean tight fisted drunks running about in skirts wanting to beat the shit out of people a culture. May they continue to eat shit, till the whole filthy race chokes to death on it!!! |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Ringer Date: 15 Aug 05 - 07:39 AM I think every culture in the past had a poor-man's meal consisting of entrails. Certainly the French did (and, like haggis, it's still available for the discerning seeker). |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Crystal Date: 15 Aug 05 - 06:55 AM Haggis is OK, if a little peppery. Alternativly my pet haggis occasionally tries to eat people. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: mindblaster Date: 15 Aug 05 - 04:44 AM Well haggis just about sums up the tight fisted scotch nation - talk shit, play shit & eat shit! |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: gnomad Date: 15 Aug 05 - 04:13 AM It's the "Yuk" factor. If we didn't know, then we would chomp away without a care, but it is very hard to ignore everything you know about the origin of something you are about to eat. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: John MacKenzie Date: 13 Aug 05 - 06:29 AM The Greeks do a dish which consists largely of intestines, the preparation of which involves irrigating lots of interesting animal tubes which they then plait [braid] before cooking with other ingredients unknown. Can't remember the Greek name for the dish, but we always called it 'Guts', very nice it tasted too. Why are folks squeamish about some foods, yet happily eat others with extremely dubious/anonymous ingredients quite happily? Giok |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Dave Hanson Date: 13 Aug 05 - 06:05 AM Don't be so bloody soft, taste it, it's delicious. eric |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Pauline L Date: 12 Aug 05 - 11:52 PM After reading the recipes, I'm even less inclined to try eating it. Yuk. ;-( |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: gnomad Date: 12 Aug 05 - 08:17 PM I have eaten a variety of foods, including donkey, and quite likely dog too, but am still a picky sort of customer. I am unsure whether I will ever taste haggis. At age 8 or so, on holiday on the Isle of Skye, I witnessed the preparation of a haggis (sorry vegy types but I cannot consider your alternatives as being a proper comparison) by an old lady who had a wash-tub full of the contents of a sheep, which she proceeded to scrub with a brush on the side of a burn. Her culinary efforts took place just upstream of where I went to draw drinking water from the burn. After that I went a bit further. She handled the bits just like normal laundry, turning them inside-out, so that the current could do a good rinsing job, and giving another scrub for good measure. The smell was beyond description, and lives with me to this day. It was not appetising, and looked pretty appalling too, only olives and lentils are khaki food in my book. That said, I have since eaten sausages in natural skins, black pudding, and the odd burger here or there. Rationally I know I have certainly eaten worse, and bearing in mind the suggestions that appear above about thinking of pate I think I will try and give it a go next time I encounter it. But I'm dammed if I will seek it out. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: John MacKenzie Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:27 PM Ah Welsh some would say that there is more culture in a pot of yoghurt than in the whole of the Welsh nation. Not that I any more than you would dare cast such a racial slur. Giok |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST,Welsh Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:09 PM Welll it's certainly not scotch. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MMario Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:05 PM I think Scotch is distilled, not cultured. Kumiss is cultured, beer and ale are cultured. Tartan is chinese though, haven't you heard? they have discovered tartan clothes in a burial site. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: GUEST,Welsh Date: 12 Aug 05 - 01:00 PM just Another part of the scotch pseudo-culture, along with tartan, bagpipes and whisky. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MMario Date: 12 Aug 05 - 11:24 AM Now - as to the original question - Is Haggis Necessary? The Role of the Wild Haggis in the pollination of heather; in the rapid recycling of fewmets into the biosphere; and in the triggering of spawning in salmon are all studies that have undergone intense interest in recent years. There is evidence that the role of the haggis is essential in these and other ecological cycles. |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 12 Aug 05 - 11:10 AM Some people might snidely suggest that's why they drink so much whiskey! Dave Oesterreich |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Ringer Date: 12 Aug 05 - 11:05 AM Came across this quotation just this lunchtime: (from memory) "No Scot has ever tasted haggis; they have always drunk so much whisky beforehand that they would just as well be eating boiled knitting". Richard Gordon |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 12 Aug 05 - 11:01 AM "Is Haggis Necessary?" No, it's not. Neither are porterhouse steak, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, or Mom's apple pie NECESSARY. Neither are grits with red-eye gravy, nor beans, bacon and gravy, nor lutefisk NECESSARY. Every one of those dishes is held dear to the hearts of some, and viewed with apathy or alarm by others. I happen to view steaks, as a class, with intense ennui (if there can be such a thing). But the few times I've been exposed to haggis, I've enjoyed it. I wouldn't go WAY out of my way for it, but it was tasty and enjoyable. I certainly enjoy good examples of haggis's close relative, scrapple. (Note that I said "good examples"; I've had a lot of exposures to scrapple where it was pretty much tasteless. I'm sure the same applies to haggis.) Just take it in stride: "Different strokes for different blokes." Now, LUTEFISK....... Dave Oesterreich |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MMario Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:32 AM should be easy to do either a 'Thai' or 'Tex-Mex version.... |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: Dave Hanson Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:30 AM Great cheiftain 'o the pudding race [ Burns ] I'm English and I love it, don't knock it till you've tried it. eric |
Subject: RE: Is Haggis Necessary? From: MMario Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:25 AM Robert May the Art and Mystery of Cookery To Make a Haggas pudding in a sheeps paunch Take good store of parsley, savory, thyme, onions, oatmeal groats chopped together and mingled with some beef or mutton suet minced together and some cloves, mace, pepper ans salt. fill the paunch, sow it up and boil it. Then being boiled, serve it in a dish and cut a hole in the top of it and put in some beaten butter with two or three yolks of eggs dissolved in the butter or none. this one may do for a fasting day, and put no suet in it, and put it in a napkin or bag . |
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