Haggis facts for kids
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Haggis displayed for sale
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| Type | Pudding |
|---|---|
| Associated national cuisine | Scotland |
| Main ingredients | Sheep's heart, liver and lungs, and stomach (or sausage casing); onion, oatmeal, suet, spices |
Haggis is a special and tasty pudding that is a national dish of Scotland. It's made from parts of a sheep, like its heart, liver, and lungs. These are chopped up and mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet (a type of fat), spices, and salt. This mixture is then cooked, traditionally inside a sheep's stomach. Today, it's often cooked in an artificial casing instead.
Even though how it's made might sound a bit unusual, many people think haggis has a wonderful nutty texture and a delicious savoury flavour. It's a very important part of Scottish culture and history.
The History of Haggis
People believe that foods similar to haggis have been eaten for a very long time. Imagine ancient hunters who needed to cook the parts of an animal that would spoil quickly. Cooking them inside the animal's stomach was a smart and easy way to do this right after a hunt.
The word "hagws" or "hagese" was first written down in England around the year 1430. However, haggis is most famous for being a Scottish dish. It became the national dish of Scotland thanks to a famous Scottish poet named Robert Burns. In 1787, he wrote a poem called Address to a Haggis. This poem made haggis even more popular and a symbol of Scotland.
How Haggis is Served
Haggis is usually served with "neeps and tatties." "Neeps" are rutabagas (also called swedes), and "tatties" are potatoes. Both are boiled and then mashed separately.
A very important time to eat haggis is at a Burns supper. This is a special dinner held every year on January 25th to celebrate Robert Burns' birthday. At a Burns Supper, the haggis is often brought into the room with bagpipes playing, and someone recites Burns' famous poem before it's eaten. Sometimes, people also enjoy a "dram," which is a small glass of Scotch whisky, with their haggis. You can also find haggis served in chip shops as a "haggis supper."
Images for kids
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Haggis on a platter at a Burns supper
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A serving of haggis, neeps, and tatties
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Recitation of the poem Address to a Haggis by Robert Burns is an important part of the Burns supper
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Haggis supper from a chip shop
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Haggis platter at a Burns Supper in the US
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A fictitious Wild Haggis Haggis scoticus, next to a prepared specimen, as displayed at the Glasgow Kelvingrove Gallery
See also
In Spanish: Haggis para niños
