Monday, April 03, 2023

Time For The Canned Haggis Story

I’ve eaten haggis, but not yet in Scotland. (I’m hoping to be there for Hogmanay some day. Or at least for a Burns’ birthday celebration.) My cousin had brought some back from Scotland. Canned haggis.

I have well-earned family reputation for trying anything once, which I did, and proceeded to finish it off. My cousin was glad to get rid of the can.

I have to say it wasn’t bad. I can only imagine canned haggis is like canned chili: inedible if you’ve had the real thing; but if you don’t know better…

A related story. While we were living in St. Louis my wife took Frito chili pie to an office party. It’s Texas comfort food, is the best thing to be said about it , and the only way we’ll eat canned chili. You heat the chili, pour it over some Fritos, top with more Fritos and then shredded cheddar cheese, and put it under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly. That’s it. It’s Texas haggis, sort of (although actually I think that would be menudo. I’ll tell you about my experience with that another time.). But the people in St. Louis reacted as if it was Escoffier. (Well, the pizza of St. Louis is a cracker thin and crisp crust topped with cheddar cheese. And salt and pepper are exotic spices. So…) We still marvel at that. (The people of the Midwest (St.Louis, Chicago) were very nice people, but for Texans raised on Mexican, Cajun, and Southern cooking, it was a food desert.)

I still want to try “real” haggis. My wife tried the canned stuff, and holds no desire for more. I especially want to pour a shot of Scotch over it and set it alight. It’s bound to improve it, especially with Scotch to wash it down.

My cousin didn’t have any Scotch that day.

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