On haggis and Burns Night

I love my Scottish husband. I would do anything for him. Give up my career, spend my days wiping dirty bottoms, make endless meals from morning ’till night.


But I absolutely, resolutely refuse to eat haggis.


Never will a forkful of that oatmeal/lamb innards mixture pass my lips. I don’t care if it is a national dish. Or if my marriage depends on it. The thought of it makes my tummy turn.


I know this is not fair. I know that many people relish haggis, enjoy it even. Especially on the 25th of January, Burns Night, the birth date of the beloved Scottish poet Robbie Burns.



When I was dating future Scottish husband, I quickly learnt that this poet had cult-like status. Upon meeting future Scottish mother-in-law, I was given a Robbie Burns tea towel, thus my collection of Robbie Burns merchandise started. I guess she didn’t quite know what to give the American career woman that was occupying her son’s time.  On each meeting, I received more — thimbles with the poet’s face, small books about his life, an apron. Maybe she thought I would develop an appreciation (I did).


But never for haggis. In an attempt to get me to try the concoction, future hubby would often recite the beginning to Burns’ Address to a Haggis:


Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin’-race!


Problem was, I had no idea what he was saying.


When we were planning our Scottish wedding, we went traditional. An old country house on Loch Lomond, kilts, an 18-piece pipe band. The food was all sourced locally. So I guess future hubby wasn’t out of order to want to serve haggis.


No way. What would the American guests eat. There would be an alternative. OK, maybe. Then my mind quickly conjured up images of little mounds of lambs innards sprinkled on the plates of my guests, eaten by drunk men in kilts, downing beers and swearing up a storm. I had to put a stop to it. What was he going to ask for next, fried Mars bars for dessert? If he wanted to pay for the wedding, maybe, but since he wasn’t…


We did end up offering haggis as a choice at dinner the night before. And many of our American guests tried it. I politely passed and had the smoked Orkney salmon…


Photo credit: case de queso


*Am re-running this from last year… I’m into recycling these days 😉

42 COMMENTS

  1. Glenda - Dining In | 25th Jan 13

    I just could not eat haggis. I know what it is made of.

  2. Glenda - Dining In | 25th Jan 13

    I just could not eat haggis. I know what it is made of.

  3. angelsandurchinsblog | 25th Jan 12

    I had a veggie haggis once and it was delicious. Not sure Burns would have made much of it though.

  4. Jody Brettkelly | 23rd Jan 12

    Love Haggis – and any kind of offley (sp?) things. That’s what I miss about my days working in the blood-lined streets of Farringdon, London – all the innards for breakfast.

  5. Nicole | 23rd Jan 12

    My parents got me to eat it by telling me a Haggis was a small mountain dwelling animal with one leg shorter than the other from running round hills one way… To catch one you need 3 men, one to chase it round the hill, one to say ‘Boo!’ so it turns around and falls over and a third to catch it in a net at the bottom… Yum!

  6. muummmeeeee! | 26th Jan 11

    That picture and description makes me grateful I’m a vegetarian….

  7. Helen@Soft Leather Baby Shoes | 26th Jan 11

    I’ve never tried haggis. The thought makes me want to heave. It falls into the same category as black pudding. I’d have to be very, very, very, very hungry!

  8. Kate | 25th Jan 11

    I just read your entry about finding a lump and living through all of that stress. So pleased to hear that you are in the clear. Take care. x

  9. paparazzimum | 28th Jan 10

    Since I posted my blog on Haggis last night I’ve felt really sick. I shouldn’t have looked up what I ate!

  10. A Modern Mother | 27th Jan 10

    Crunchy – I guess I should read the sausage ingredients more carefully!

  11. A Modern Mother | 27th Jan 10

    Bosnia– wanna trade? 😉

  12. A Modern Mother | 27th Jan 10

    Knackered — yes, you said it, the things we do for love!

  13. Knackered Mother | 26th Jan 10

    I married a Hampshire Highlander (Scots father but never lived in Scotland himself) and we still have to do the whole shebang with haggis, whisky, celtic singing…the things we do for love! x

  14. Brit In Bosnia | 26th Jan 10

    I LOVE haggis! Love love love it. Do my best not to think about what it is though, but that goes for quite a bit of food. And I love Scottish dancing too. And kilts. REally should have married a Scotsman!

  15. Muddling Along Mummy | 25th Jan 10

    I miss that this is the first year in about the last decade that I haven’t been to a Burns Night dinner … way we usually do it is a starter of a teeny bit of haggis, neeps & tatties (and with a glass of whisky)

  16. Crunchy | 25th Jan 10

    I guess people that don’t eat haggis don’t eat sausages..because really..what do they think is in a sausage?? Haggis is basically just a BIG sausage!!!
    I like it.
    In fact mom is away to find one as she really wants us to have it for dinner even though we aren’t doing anything fun for Burns bday this year.
    Anyway..with some neeps and tatties..yum

  17. A Modern Mother | 25th Jan 10

    Jen — we skip it too but now feeling guilty!
    Sparkler — Hubby loves it too. Are you Scottish by any chance?!

  18. Sparkler | 25th Jan 10

    Love Haggis. Very very very tasty!

  19. Jennifer@alphamummy | 25th Jan 10

    I want to try it. I WANT to like it. But i can’t bring myself to sample it. My husband grew up in Scotland and he’s happy to skip it on Burns Night so I’m following his lead…

  20. A Modern Mother | 25th Jan 10

    Mwa — am so close to trying it now … NOT

  21. Mwa | 25th Jan 10

    My husband is Scottish as well, and at the last Scottish wedding we went to, I had chicken stuffed with haggis and it tasted quite nice, really. And that after refusing to eat it for years as well.

  22. A Modern Mother | 25th Jan 10

    Antonella — very nice neighbours you have!

  23. Antonella | 25th Jan 10

    Hoots mo, Susanna! Don’t know what this means exactly but it’s some sort of Scottish salutation! Anyway, I celebrated Burn’s night with my neighbours last Saturday evening and, as they know that in the past I was horrified by discovering the real ingredients of haggis, they provided me with vegetarian haggis. Tasteful and “safe”. Have a nice Burn’s night!. Ciao. A.

  24. A Modern Mother | 25th Jan 10

    Sandi – really? sausages?
    Peabee — I am actually going to go to Tesco today and look for a veggie version — so I can at least say I have tried it and still don’t like it 😉

  25. peabee72 | 25th Jan 10

    You post really made me laugh! I was faced with a similar quandry yesterday – it was being stocked in Tesco and I thought I’d do the supportive wife thing and buy it for my husband to celebrate his Scottish roots. The mistake I made was looking at the ingredients (which included Lamb’s lung), retching and vowing NEVER to touch the stuff as I returned it to the shelf….
    Yuk!
    Px

  26. sandi | 25th Jan 10

    Too late, my husband’s already got it in for tonight. By the way, I couldn’t fault his argument – If we’re willing to eat sausages we should be fine with Haggis. Yipes!

  27. A Modern Mother | 25th Jan 10

    Linda– Hmmm, so maybe I won’t try it then.
    Nappy– the salmon (and the weddig) was fab!

  28. nappyvalleygirl | 24th Jan 10

    I don’t think I have ever had Haggis. Don’t really fancy it – but the Orkney salmon sounds delicious, and your wedding sounds fab.

  29. Linda | 24th Jan 10

    Another one with a big Scottish connection as my parents in law are from Edinburgh. I tried it once (haggis not Edinburgh) am never ever going abck. A big yuck from me! x

  30. A Modern Mother | 24th Jan 10

    Laura — I alwys knew you were sensible.
    Ellen– ha!
    Jennie – I actually shouldn’tbe so unsreasonble, maybe I will try after a wee dram…
    Sandi — sorry to be the bearer of bad news…

  31. sandi | 24th Jan 10

    Oh no. I was told it wasn’t made of all those yucky things anymore. Now I can’t eat it anymore!

  32. Jennie | 24th Jan 10

    My parents are big fans of haggis, but I too could not bring myself to eat it. Thank goodness I left home more than ten years ago and choose my own meals now!

  33. Ellen A | 24th Jan 10

    The only way to enjoy haggis is to refuse to consider its provenance, much like chicken nuggets or hotdog sausages. It might account for the consumption of whisky (with haggis not nuggets or sausages).

  34. Laura McIntyre | 24th Jan 10

    Well we are Scottish and refuse to try Haggis lol . Was no where on our wedding menu

  35. A Modern Mother | 24th Jan 10

    Potty — no, they just move you to Russia!

  36. Potty Mummy | 24th Jan 10

    I used to date a scottish guy – but married a dutchman. Is it a coincidence they don’t have haggis in Holland? You decide…

  37. A Modern Mother | 24th Jan 10

    Trish — I might be tempted to try a veggie version…
    Lucy — If I did not know what was in it I would mos likley try it, and probably like it.

  38. Liz (LivingwithKids) | 24th Jan 10

    Oh wow I don’t blame you – I can’t even eat black pudding! Your wedding sounds lovely – can we see a picture sometime? x

  39. Lucy Quick | 24th Jan 10

    I love haggis, although I can totally understand why the idea of it makes it a no-no for many.
    I also love black pudding which similarly turns many people’s stomachs!

  40. Trish@Mum's Gone to | 24th Jan 10

    A toast to the Scottish husbands – mine’s from Edinburgh and has lured me into the haggis-fest! In fact I’ve just blogged about it this morning too. Can I suggest Sainsbury’s vegetarian haggis – it’s yummy.

  41. A Modern Mother | 24th Jan 10

    Mine too!

  42. TheMadHouse | 24th Jan 10

    Lots of my family love Haggis!!

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