Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

US To Lift 21-Year Ban On Haggis

Posted by samzenpus on from the it's-what's-for-dinner dept.

Stuffed gut lovers rejoice! Haggis is about to return to the US. The daunting dish was banned out of health fears 21 years ago during the middle of the BSE (mad-cow disease) crisis. "It was a silly ban which meant a lot of people have never tasted the real thing," said Margaret Frost, of the Scottish American Society in Ohio. "We have had to put up with the US version, which is made from beef and is bloody awful."

35 comments

  1. International House of Haggis by jayme0227 · · Score: 3, Funny

    From Earthworm Jim

    Peter: (at the International House of Haggis) Hey...this haggis stuff is great! Say, how come no one comes here, anyway? (takes a big bite of haggis)
    Jim: Because haggis is made from the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep boiled in its own stomach.
    Peter: (looks absolutely repulsed)

    --
    But then I realized the cable was blue, so I only gave it one star. I hate blue.
  2. Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by fantomas · · Score: 1

    Mmm... who'd eat haggis when you can eat the high quality cuisine that is US fast food "meat products"? And what do you think sausages come in? yup, sheep intestines...

    1. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by dow · · Score: 1

      I hear black pudding (congealed blood sausage) is off the menu over in the US... they class a lot of things as offal that really are quite delicious. Am I right in thinking you don't eat kidneys or liver either?

    2. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by name_already_taken · · Score: 2, Informative

      Am I right in thinking you don't eat kidneys or liver either?

      No, you are not. Liver is eaten, but kidneys I think end up in dog food.

      Many organ meats are high in cholesterol, and they tend to be looked down upon as something only country folk might eat because they need to use every part of the animal or something.

      --
      Putting moderation advice in your .sig lowers your karma!
    3. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by Gonoff · · Score: 1

      I have known a number of people from "northern states" who seemed to have a fear of anything particularly strong tasting.
      Texans, however, seem to have no such problem!

      --
      I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
    4. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      No, you are not. Liver is eaten, but kidneys I think end up in dog food.

      Your loss ; dog's gain.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    5. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      I have known a number of people from "northern states" who seemed to have a fear of anything particularly strong tasting.
      Texans, however, seem to have no such problem!

      The Texans that I've shared culinary experiences with seem to have a problem with the idea that you start good cooking with good ingredients, well prepared to show their strengths, and only use spices as a last resort to cover up the putrid taste of otherwise unfit-to-eat materials.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    6. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Having actually tried it, I have to say that while it may be the dog's gain, I don't feel I've lost anything.

      Same with lungs.

      Intestines as anything more than a small component.

      Or liver for that matter.

      But then again, for liver and kidneys, I have a hard time buying into the idea that I'm supposed to be eating something whose biological purpose is to act as a filter for contaminants. Yum!

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    7. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 1

      I have known a number of people from "northern states" who seemed to have a fear of anything particularly strong tasting. !

      I live in Iowa now. They put a little star next to vanilla ice cream on the menu indicating "hot and spicy". (I think I stole that from Dave Barry.)

      I've stopped using that joke with anyone outside the state, because they assume I'm not kidding. In reality, it's not that bad here, spice-wise. They do put mustard on the tables without special request. Don't try the BBQ. They've heard of it, but can't make it -- too scary. Over in Wisconsin, if you ask where to get barbecue, you are directed to Home Depot or Lowe's.

      Haggis, OTOH, does not have to be particularly spicy, but I preferred plenty of pepper in the recipe. I don't think Iowans would be put off by it, though I haven't attended a Burns' Supper here.

      --
      I am not a crackpot.
    8. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by azalin · · Score: 1

      In related headlines: "Haggis - dish or dare?"

    9. Re:Because McDonalds burgers are so much nicer! by durrr · · Score: 2, Informative

      The liver is more favourable to compare with a chemical reactor than a filter, because it doesn't really filter anything, it's just a highly vascularized organ equipped with a vast array of enzymes.
      The kidneys have filtration units, but seen as a whole they are more a waste separator than a filter, nothing gets stuck in the kidney filters, they just extract metabolic waste from the bloodstream and dump it as urine.

      Cooked meat is just mainly denaturated proteins, the same for kidneys and livers. Then again i'm not much for livers and kidneys either, i guess western culture is rather spoiled when it comes to nutrition.

  3. The original ban by Pictish+Prince · · Score: 2, Informative

    Haggis was originally banned on account of the sheep lungs in it. Witch doctors at the FDA were afraid it would spread tuberculosis. In the midst of a ton of depressing news, this is a story to celebrate. It represents another wound to the nannyocracy etouffee which is oppressing an ever larger part of the earth's population. I urge everyone to go out and sample real haggis - it is freaking awesome, especially with a good single malt whisky.

    --
    Only his tendency toward a dazed stupor prevented him from screaming aloud.
    1. Re:The original ban by Pictish+Prince · · Score: 0

      You probably don't like bagpipes, either, do you, pissant?

      --
      Only his tendency toward a dazed stupor prevented him from screaming aloud.
    2. Re:The original ban by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Q: Why do bagpipers walk while playing?
      A: They're trying to get away from that fucking noise!

    3. Re:The original ban by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      it is freaking awesome, especially with a good single malt whisky.

      Yeah, and I have a good bet on what the optimal order of consumption is.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    4. Re:The original ban by CorporateSuit · · Score: 1

      I urge everyone to go out and sample real haggis - it is freaking awesome, especially with a good single malt whisky.

      I had a Scottish friend a few years back that told me Haggis was a big joke the Scots played on the English. "No true Scotsman would eat Haggis!" He exclaimed, "But any good Scotsman wants to see the look on an Englishman's face when he's chomping down on that kind of crap in the name of culture!"

      --
      I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
    5. Re:The original ban by Pictish+Prince · · Score: 1

      it is freaking awesome, especially with a good single malt whisky.

      Yeah, and I have a good bet on what the optimal order of consumption is.

      There's ritual toast and recitation of Burns before you cut into it, yes.

      --
      Only his tendency toward a dazed stupor prevented him from screaming aloud.
  4. Is it really cheap? by markass530 · · Score: 1

    From Wikipedia: Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs) So unless it's retarded cheap why would you eat it?

    1. Re:Is it really cheap? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The same reason why people all over the world eat fermented milk, pig feet, rotten fish and rotten eggs: tradition.

    2. Re:Is it really cheap? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From Wikipedia: Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs)

      So unless it's retarded cheap why would you eat it?

      Er, because it's tasty? There really is nothing wrong with offal so long as it's fresh and from a healthy animal. Try some bone marrow sometime - you'll be pleasantly surprised!

      The odd thing though it: it was banned because of the BSE crisis - thing is it's not made of bovine, so why did they ban it and why did they come up with an alternate American version that was made of beef? That's just retarded.

      Fair enough there might have been some fear that Scottish sheep could be exposed to Scrapie - so just use native sheep.

    3. Re:Is it really cheap? by Nevynxxx · · Score: 1

      Because it tastes damn good. A proper black pudding (or bordon noir for the french) is made from pigs eyes and blood, but is similarly tasty.

      My question would be: why is eating muscle normal and eating heart (a strong muscle) not?

      The short version, don't knock it, 'till you've tried it!

    4. Re:Is it really cheap? by Teun · · Score: 2, Informative
      BSE is the bovine version of a, also of British origin, disease that in sheep is for centuries known as scrapie.
      Margaret Thatcher came to power in the UK on promises to get rid of or at least simplify a lot of rules hampering business.

      Among these according to her (government) were the regulations on how to treat offal from sheep so as to turn it into a valuable cattle (herbivores!) feed stock.

      (I don't recall the exact numbers but you'll get the drift)
      Instead of treating these leftovers at 200 degC for 2 hours it now became legal to process them at 120 degC for 1 hr.

      The result was that scrapie mutated and became the curse we know as BSE.

      Sickening is that scrapie can be eradicated, other countries keep it outside their borders but the UK has never been interested, really a bit like that MSRA bacteria in British hospitals.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    5. Re:Is it really cheap? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MSRA (Mid-States Rodeo Association) is found in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, and Minnesota.
      MRSA is found world-wide.

  5. The Haggis Lobby by TheRon6 · · Score: 1

    I bet NORML is desperately searching for the haggis lobbyists so they can hire them.

    --
    Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?
  6. Haggis is fine by ActionJesus · · Score: 2, Funny

    As long as its freshly caught. After a few days, it starts to go off. Weird thing too, freezing doesnt seem to work properly.

    Best option, go haggis hunting yourself and get a nice big one.

    1. Re:Haggis is fine by Charles+Dodgeson · · Score: 1

      As long as its freshly caught. ... Best option, go haggis hunting yourself and get a nice big one.

      And although they are difficult to find, they are easy to catch on account of their left legs having a different length than their right legs.

      --
      Prime numbers are exactly what Alan Greenspan says they are -S. Minsky
  7. Ban was silly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So they knew 21 years ago that lungs weren't transmitter for prion disease? Yeah right!

    1. Re:Ban was silly? by Teun · · Score: 1

      21 years ago it was already known the for humans dangerous version of the disease came from cows, not sheep.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  8. All Hail McHaggis by Cywiro · · Score: 1

    I for one welcome our new Great Chieftains of the Pudding Race.

  9. (XOR (strong taste) (cold weather)) by ChipMonk · · Score: 1

    Strong-tasting foods tend to dilate the blood vessels. This is not a good thing in climates with cold winters, as it causes the body to lose heat more rapidly.

  10. Mmmm haggis! by Rufty · · Score: 1

    Here's the one's I like best.

    --
    Red to red, black to black. Switch it on, but stand well back.
  11. The ban really on affected imports by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 1

    With access to sheep "parts", you could make your own. And there are sheep in the US. Homemade haggis was the way many a Scottish association got around the ban. Just tell the banquet hall that you're brining in a special ethnic dish and it's a deal breaker if they say "no". My society back in KC switched facilities rather than give it up.

    --
    I am not a crackpot.
  12. Fries with your Haggis? by stimpleton · · Score: 1

    ....said Margaret Frost, of the Scottish American Society in Ohio. "We have had to put up with the US version, which is made from beef and is bloody awful."

    Only is the US would you get an Americanized Scottish American Society who expect to buy their haggis. Perhaps at a drive in?.

    Elsewhere they make their own. As the post above says..."they have sheep in the US". FFS.

    --

    In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
  13. You could irraidiate the haggis by jhylkema · · Score: 1

    All 4,691 of them.