Last updated on February 9th, 2024 at 11:46 pm
Scotland is a land of mystery with so many stories and legendary creatures it is hard to narrow down to one choice. But there is a cryptid so unique, so beloved by the Scottish people that they have taken this creature to their hearts and given him a special status.
No, it is not The Loch Ness Monster. At least not for this post. (Trust me , Nessie will be featured later). But this creature is just as elusive ,and just as hard to find in the wild as that mighty cryptid.
This is the haggis. Haggis Scoticus.
Kind of a hedgehog with long hair. He lives in the mountainous areas of Scotland. His legs are uneven so he can balance and graze on the steepest of the mountain sides.
Never photographed in the wild. Is he real?? Just as real as the jackalope.
The Haggis does not truly exist but everyone in Scotland pretends that he does.
Many people in the United States have been fooled into thinking it is a real animal. In a survey given to American tourists, at least one -third of the visitors believed the haggis to be an actual living creature.
Haggis is a Scottish dish of Sheep’s stomach with sheep organs, oatmeal, onion, and spices. The stomach is used as a cooking bag, filled up, and left to cook. Any kind of meat can be used (even vegan), but to be truly haggis , it must be sheep.
The Scots take great pride in their national dish. Served with mashed potatoes at dinner. Eaten with eggs for breakfast. Can be stuffing for poultry, meat patties for burgers, even pizza toppings.
Although a casserole dish is accepted , to still use the sheep stomach to cook everything is traditional. Many people wrap it in foil to cook in the oven.
Tradition is honored above all other days on January 25, for that is the birthday of Robert Burns, Poet of Scotland. Historian , poet , and songwriter , he is also known as Rabbie Burns and Bard of Ayrshire. This is the best known image of him . Created by Alexander Nasmyth in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Because he composed “Address of a Haggis” the haggis is served by all on this day . From casual pubs to serious lodge ceremonies the Burns Supper is served .Haggis with Neeps (mashed turnips) and Tatties (mashed potatoes). Washed down with Scotch Whisky. “Address of a Haggis” and other compositions are read aloud accompanied with bagpipes.
Haggis is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Most of Americans do not know of the haggis because raw sheep and beef products are forbidden to be imported in the States. But people can make it locally if they know the recipe and can get the sheep parts.
Closing with my favorite travel show .The Amazing Race. This is Race 22, episode 10. In Scotland, racers prepared haggis. Christopher Tait as Robert Burns quoted Address to a Haggis.
(To my guests not using a laptop, please scroll down to view our recent posts and tag cloud)
http://www.fairmontmoments.com/food-drink/holy-haggis-on-robert-burns-day
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-haggis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burns_supper#Address_to_a_Haggis
https://thermapenblog.com/burns-night-haggis-neeps-and-tatties/