Haggis

Haggis is a spicy mince, a type of pudding of high nutritional value made from sheep's innards, lamb's heart, lungs and liver, beef, onions, oats, and spices. It is the national dish of Scotland and an excellent source of fibre, iron, and carbohydrates. According to some, the word haggis stems from the French word hacher, meaning to chop up or mangle. Originally, it was a poor man's meal made with liver and kidneys stuffed in intestines, providing a good way to feed a lot of people so that no meat would go to waste. Its flavor can best be described as spicy, crumbly, earthy, meaty, savoury, peppery, moist, and oaty. There is also a vegetarian version of haggis containing various vegetables, mushrooms, oatmeal, onions, and seeds. The dish is an important part of the Burns Supper celebrations that are held every year on January 25, in honor of Scotland's famous poet Robert Burns. He was the one that immortalised haggis in his poem Address to a haggis. The dish is typically accompanied by turnips and mashed potatoes on the side. And even though some like to accompany the dish with Scotch whisky, one of Scotland's authorities on haggis and so-called ''Haggis Queen'' Jo Macsween claims that serving whisky with haggis is a recipe for a ''culinary catastrophe.''