Thursday, January 24, 2008

Haggis

I get the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day, which is slightly more detailed than the Dictionary.com word of the day, as it gives the first known usage of the word.

Today's word is HAGGIS, and is described thusly:
1. a. A dish consisting of the heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep, calf, etc. (or sometimes of the tripe and chitterlings), minced with suet and oatmeal, seasoned with salt, pepper, onions, etc., and boiled like a large sausage in the maw of the animal.

I like this description, too:
1. d. A mixture, hodge-podge; a mess. 1899 Daily News 13 Sept. 7/6 They cheerfully go through the curious haggis of social and philanthropic duties served up to them each week. 1928 Bengal haggis. 1929 H. MARWICK Orkney Norn 66/1 He'll just mak a haggis o' the job.

My feeling is that if you can eat scrapple, you can certainly eat haggis. I had it a number of times when I was living in the UK, and it was even served at a black-tie dinner I attended at the famous Murrayfield Rugby Grounds in Edinburgh.
How handy... cocktail-size haggis balls! mmmmmmm.....

4 comments:

John said...

So THAT is what it looks like...

Mind you, I don't like scrapple. But I will try any food at least once, as long as it's not moving.

roopa said...

I had some Macsween's veggie haggis when I was in Scotland in November and it was actually REALLY good. Apparently 25% of Macsweens' sales is the veggie haggis - weird, right?!?!

Anonymous said...

Your point about scrapple is well taken, and while I like scrapple I can't work up enthusiasm for haggis. I've never been anywhere it was served so eating/not eating haggis remains purely theoretical. However, if I ever find myself in a situation where I'm offered haggis, I think I might decline.

London Calling said...

Here in South Texas nobody even knows what scrapple is. I guess its regional. We grew up with it but its a family thing. I had haggis in Scotland. Edible- but not delectible.