Haggis | Definition, Origin, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Where did haggis originally come from? ›

Scotland

Haggis / Origin

Although the name "hagws" or "hagese" was first recorded in England c. 1430, the dish is considered traditionally of Scottish origin. It is even the national dish, as a result of Scots poet Robert Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis" of 1786.

Haggis' origins are shrouded in mystery. There is no telling where – or when – it came into being. Some believe that it was brought over by the Romans. Although evidence is scarce, their version – made from pork – probably began as a rudimentary means of preserving meat during hunts.

hag·​gis ˈha-gəs. : a traditionally Scottish dish that consists of the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep or a calf minced with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the animal.

Haggis imports into the United States were prohibited in 1971 as part of a ban on the consumption of all livestock lungs.

The poem actually helped popularise the dish and after Rabbie's death, his pals got together five years on (in 1801) to celebrate his life and they served haggis in his memory. Haggis is the main event of a Burns Supper – and we don't do things by a half, we celebrate the dish.

Legend surrounds the wild haggis. According to many cryptid directories, the wild haggis is an unbalanced beast whose legs of unequal length enable it to lope up steep Scottish hillsides with ease.

Scotland's iconic dish began as a nod to the necessities of harder times, when using as much as possible of a slain animal was essential. But while some cuts of meat could be salted or dried for preservation if not eaten immediately, internal organs were far more perishable.

This is a herd of wild haggis. The collective noun is actually 'stooshie. '

Is Haggis Healthy? It isn't unhealthy! The contested inclusion of offal like liver and heart in haggis means that the meaty version is high in vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium. Haggis is usually quite healthy if eaten traditionally as a main meal as it's accompanied by mashed boiled potatoes and turnips.

What is the national dish of the haggis? ›

haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices.

Hunting wild haggis has become so popular that there are special local haggis hunters called gillies. The hunting season begins on St Andrew's Day (30th November) and lasts until Burns Night (25th January).

There is one more salient point from the no-lungs side. During slaughter, stomach contents can get into animals' lungs through a kind of acid-reflux reaction. Stomach contents can spread disease, and the USDA FSIS has a zero-tolerance policy for this “ingesta” if spotted.

The national dish of Scotland, haggis is actually classified as a type of pudding, but in the British sense of the word, rather than the American. A British pudding, of course, can be either sweet or savory and cooked by being steamed or boiled inside of something.

Haggis is normally made with sheep offal, but originally any animal would have been used. There are many variations, which include combinations of lamb, pork, beef, venison and slightly more unusual offerings, such as rabbit and hare.

haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices.

Others have speculated that the first haggis was carried to Scotland aboard a Viking longboat. Yet another theory ties the dish to pre-historic origins, as a way of cooking and preserving offal that would otherwise quickly spoil following a hunt.

Haggis is our national dish, and the first recipe dates back to the 15th century (in recorded history).