I headline about Haggis and it brought back a memory of 5 years ago on a trip to Scotland. I tried to eat Haggis at least once a day. Many were the same with a light alteration of the covering green peppercorn sauce. In Inverness we hit a bar downtown a little after the lunch rush and I ordered the Haggis. Very different so I wandered over to the kitchen and spoke with the chef about his Haggis. He told me few people make their own. I told him that there must be a national brand because several tasted similar. He said, “ You would be right”. His was made by a butcher just two blocks away and he said if you are that interested would you like to see how ours is made. What a great tour of a proper Scottish butcher shop. They included everything but the bleat and were quite proud of the ingredients and care they took in making the Haggis for locals.
The national brand was very homogenized and tasty. The local did not have that fine grind and some parts discernible but altogether as tasty and even better after I got to meet they man who made it every day.
The next trip I avoided the Haggis and concentrated on other local dishes like Cullen Skink and salmon. We went this past Christmas to experience the Christmas markets and on a whim stopped into the Balmoral Hotel during a snowstorm for hot toddies followed by afternoon tea. That was the highlight of that trip.
So we are researching our next trip, to Greece and the Cyclades. Just starting to look for what we should pursue in the eating department, but it will be fun.
I headline about Haggis and it brought back a memory of 5 years ago on a trip to Scotland. I tried to eat Haggis at least once a day. Many were the same with a light alteration of the covering green peppercorn sauce. In Inverness we hit a bar downtown a little after the lunch rush and I ordered the Haggis. Very different so I wandered over to the kitchen and spoke with the chef about his Haggis. He told me few people make their own. I told him that there must be a national brand because several tasted similar. He said, “ You would be right”. His was made by a butcher just two blocks away and he said if you are that interested would you like to see how ours is made. What a great tour of a proper Scottish butcher shop. They included everything but the bleat and were quite proud of the ingredients and care they took in making the Haggis for locals.
The national brand was very homogenized and tasty. The local did not have that fine grind and some parts discernible but altogether as tasty and even better after I got to meet they man who made it every day.
The next trip I avoided the Haggis and concentrated on other local dishes like Cullen Skink and salmon. We went this past Christmas to experience the Christmas markets and on a whim stopped into the Balmoral Hotel during a snowstorm for hot toddies followed by afternoon tea. That was the highlight of that trip.
So we are researching our next trip, to Greece and the Cyclades. Just starting to look for what we should pursue in the eating department, but it will be fun.
Love the haggis! We tasted every layer! Happy Saturday! Thank you for the answer!
Hi Andrew
I purchased a plethora of your
Tuscan seasoning to give for
gifts this year. Wondered what your
source of "natural flavor" ingredient is
After reading that "natural flavor" is
often derived from a company called
"Senomyx" that uses aborted fetal tissue
to produce their "natural flavor". Indeed
it is "natural". I've been reading labels
for about 20 years and it's a real eye
opener about what is in our food.