Boisdale Of Canary Wharf

Though haggis is often thought to be a dish originally made in Scotland, findings point in other directions. The Ancient Romans were actually the first people to make haggis like dishes. Haggis was used as a cheap way to feed the Roman armies as well as the citizens.

When haggis arrived in Scotland sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries, it soon became an integral part of the Scottish culture.

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Traditional Scottish haggis is prepared using a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced with onions, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal’s stomach. It is also served with swede, yellow turnip or rutabaga and potatoes. It was often used by the poor in Scotland as a filling and nutritious dish.

Modern day haggis is served in artificial casings instead of the sheep’s stomach. Fast food establishments deep fry it in batter and serve it with chips. Higher class restaurants serve it stuffed in chicken breast, a dish called “The Flying Scotsman”.

There are also various Scottish shops and manufactures that sell vegetarian haggis for people that don’t eat meat. They use pulses and vegetables as a substitute for the meat.

Scottish whiskey is a common drink served with the traditional haggis, though some people drink wine with it.

There is plenty of folklore about haggis. The wives of Scottish cattle drovers were said to prepare rations for the men in preparation for the cattle drive to the market in Edinburgh. The sheep’s stomachs were supposed to allow for easy transportation of food during the trip.

Another story says that when a Chieftain or Laird had a sheep or cow killed for it’s meat, the workmen were given the offal as a way of thanking them.

There is also a rather amusing tale that haggis is actually a small animal that is native to Scotland. This animal is supposed to have one set of legs longer than the other so that it can stand on the steep hills of the Highlands without falling over. Many Americans actually believe this story and look for this mythical animal when visiting Scotland.

Though haggis may not have originated in Scotland, it is now so much a part of Scotland that has become a true a Scottish dish.