I Tried It!

Let’s start by saying I am NOT a super picky eater…..sure, there are some things I just plain don’t like, some I won’t eat because I’m not fond of the texture in my mouth (even if the taste isn’t offensive), some I’ll eat if it is the only choice but won’t choose it if there are other options, and then I’m allergic to cheese, so need to avoid anything with cheese in or on it…..and I draw a hard line when it comes to anything involving organ meat, offal, or blood of an animal. OK, so putting it all out there that way, it does sound like I’m picky…..but only mildly so in comparison to some people I know. hehehe

I went on a wonderful adventure in Scotland last week. When reviewing the itinerary with all the things we were going to be doing, I noticed we had an optional excursion that included the “Address To The Haggis”. Hhhmmm……I had heard that word before – wasn’t it some kind of organ meat dish? So I looked it up……yep…..it is exactly what I thought:

“Haggis is a sausage or pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs) minced with oatmeal and spices and boiled inside the sheep’s stomach lining”! EEEWWW!

The excursion description said it was a traditional Scottish evening with bagpipers, traditional dances and song, a meal…..and the Address To The Haggis and the opportunity to try the Scottish delicacy. I was all in for everything up to the trying of the haggis……that was a hard NO for me! But, I gave it more thought and decided I should take a teeny tiny bite and have a napkin ready……after all, I was in Scotland and I really should really experience Scotland, right?

The evening started out with being served our choice of wine or beer – I chose the white wine and it was VERY good – a tad on the sweet side – and our meal selections. Then, the Address To The Haggis began – here’s a description I found on a web site:

“The Address To The Haggis is a poem written by Robert Burns to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis. As a result Burns and Haggis have been forever linked. This particular poem is always the first item on the program of Burns’ suppers. The haggis is generally carried in on a silver salver at the start of the proceedings. As it is brought to the table a piper plays a suitable, rousing accompaniment. One of the invited artistes then recites the poem before the theatrical cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife.“

As we were served our meal, a small dish of “Crispy Haggis Bon-Bons” was placed on the table…..sounds innocent enough phrased like that, right?

So, to follow through on my decision to try it, I took one……cut it in half……and looked it over……

It looked harmless……so, I put a small bite on my fork and put my napkin in my other hand……

…..and put it in my mouth……

It wasn’t bad……I didn’t use my napkin to get rid of it……but, I also didn’t go for a second bite! I just chewed it up and swallowed it and took a big swig of my wine! hahahaha

The taste was not bad at all – not something I would likely eat again, but not bad and I’m glad I tried it. Some of us talked and decided they probably “Americanized” it for the tourists, so it wasn’t so “irony” or “gamey” tasting. The reason I didn’t go for another bite was that “texture” thing…..I found it to be thick and sticky and rather weird feeling in my mouth, so that killed it for me. But, I did it and I’m danged proud of myself for it! hahaha

COMING SOON: A full post (or maybe multiple posts) all about my Grand Scotland Adventure – I’m still trying to catch up from being away and going through my photos and notes…..but, it’s coming…..I promise…..check back in a day or two!