My name is Michael. I ate haggis.
I don’t remember the first time I heard about this offal dish (yes, I punned), but I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of eating this Scottish delight. I remember talking up my adventurous palate to my friends; haggis is one of the dishes that always came up (stir-fried insects, Rocky Mountain oysters, and Filipino Dinuguan besides). What could sound less appetizing: “sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.” Sure, I eat hotdogs. Who knows what parts of what animal they contain nowadays? But pluck and oatmeal boiled in a sheep’s stomach for hours? The British must have told the Scottish a joke that they mistook for a recipe. How could oatmeal, the reliable breakfast favorite, become savory pub fare? Alton Brown humorously demonstrated a recipe for haggis during his oatmeal episode of Good Eats complete with a kilt, a club, and a horrible Scottish accent. If AB approved, I knew I had to give this dish a shot.
I’m currently aboard USS Cole (DDG 67), augmenting the Destroyer Squadron 24 staff with two Mass Communication Sailors as the public affairs officer. We just completed Exercise Joint Warrior, a UK-led, multinational, multi-warfare designed to improve interoperability among the participating navies. The exercise kicked off in Faslane, Scotland, a 2-hour westward train-ride to Edinburgh. I had one full day of liberty and did my best to take advantage of it. One of my goals was to eat haggis.
My liberty buddies and I left Faslane and made it to the Edinburgh Waverly train station by noon. We stepped into the city (to the sounds of bag pipes) and made our way to High Street via the North Bridge. High Street is also known as the “Royal Mile,” a gradual incline of tourist shops, cashmere/tweed stores, scotch whiskey retailers, and other such distractions leading to Edinburgh Castle at the top. The plan was to start at the Castle, then grab lunch and make our way down the Royal Mile.
After building up a big appetite surveying the impressive Edinburgh Castle, we went searching for food, preferably traditional and reasonably priced. We meandered down the “mile” and stumbled upon a little pub, Ensign Eward. (I was hanging out with junior officers; how could we resist)?
Dimly lit and bedecked with Scotch Whisky (that’s how they spell it) and Guinness (what?!) posters, Ensign Eward’s seemed a little touristy to me. The menu was even less impressive: a single-page menu populated with typical pub grub. The first item, though, caught my eye. “Haggis, Neeps & Tatties…..£7.50.” It was fate. The bar mistress recommended a light lager, so I ordered both. (It turns out that it is more traditional to drink whiskey with haggis).
A few minutes later, lunch was brought to our table. The steaming
plate of haggis and I eyed each other (not that it has eyes) and I gave it a minute to cool by snapping a couple photos with my trusty ELPH. To call it unappetizing to the eye would be a gross understatement. It looks like a cross between a brown corned beef and moist mulch. It smelled of meat, but was mostly nondescript; no posh spices here. I scooped a forkful and took a bite. Meaty and mushy; not bad. Neeps turned out to be mashed swede (rutabaga) and tatties were mashed potatoes. There were peas and carrots for color. This is Scottish comfort food. Homey and simple; this would fit right into a retirement home menu. Lots of protein, fiber, and it’s easily chewed and digested. It may have been the spice of hunger, but I finished it all. (Though I think the years of dinner with my dad have programmed me to clear my plate).
My parents instilled in me a passion for food and zeal to eat new things; I think that comes naturally as a Filipino. (Well, Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods is also an inspiration). I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t try to travel and eat adventurously. So, I ate haggis. Did I enjoy it? I guess so. Will I ever try to make it myself? Not likely. My personal ethics would not allow me to cross Scotland off my “places visited list” if I didn’t eat haggis at least once. I also ate fish and chips; and sampled a wide variety of Scotch. (I’m taking home a half-dozen bottles)! So, check in the box, mission accomplished.
Though I only spent a short while in Scotland, I have fallen in love. It’s a beautiful country with a storied history. I hope I come back someday. I still have to see the Highlands and search for Nessie.
(oh. I feel bad about stealing the first food and travel post from Beth; I’ll make it up to her. I’ll make sure to introduce myself in a future post too). Props to wikipedia for the basic haggis recipe.
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