Ode to the Haggis

[sandbender]

It is Burns night, enjoy your haggis!

[video=youtube;3kzYaIphbzU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kzYaIphbzU[/video]

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
You pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead

His knife see Rustic-labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reeking, rich!

Then, horn for horn they stretch an’ strive,
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive
Bethankit hums

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash
His spindle-shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle

Ye pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
An’ dish them out their bill o’fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ pray’r,
Gie her a Haggis!

 

[Toddy]

I hope you enjoyed your dinner too

Can I ask ? What does your Hungarian family think of Haggis, cullen skink, dumpling and the like ? Are such foods not a pan European dinner ?

cheers,
M

 

[sandbender]

I hope you enjoyed your dinner too

Can I ask ? What does your Hungarian family think of Haggis, cullen skink, dumpling and the like ? Are such foods not a pan European dinner ?

cheers,
M

Thanks, yes, dinner was good, no Haggis this year but spicy sausage cooked with potatoes and pig fat scones for afters.

Much of mainland Europe enjoys puddings/sausages of various types, I have found things similar to Haggis in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Hungary is no exception however sheep is no longer the meat of choice in Hungary having been replaced by pig, that said sheep is still very popular in the Hungarian speaking parts of Romania (Transylvania).

Obviously England also has a rich tradition of meaty puddings, although they are perhaps less common these days.

 

[boatman]

I miss proper faggots, not the sort doused in gravy sold by the likes of Brains but the dry ones wrapped in gut. Haven't seen them for ages.