Scots ask US to lift haggis ban

The BBC ^ | January 20, 2008

[Stoat]

Scots ask US to lift haggis ban

 

Haggis, traditionally eaten on Burns night, is banned in the US

The Scottish Government is considering asking the United States to rethink its ban on haggis imports.

Imports of Scotland's iconic dish were banned by the US in 1989 in the wake of the BSE scare because it contains offal ingredients such as sheep lungs.

Only an offal-free version of haggis is available in the US.

The move would be backed by renowned haggis maker Macsween, which believes the American market could be a very lucrative one.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it "will consider engaging the US government on its haggis export ban, if there is popular support for such a move from within our world famous haggis producers".

Expat Scots

Jo Macsween, a co-director of family company Macsween, said she hoped to see the ban overturned.

"The market is massive because there are so many expat Scots there and once Americans try a good quality haggis, they can't get enough of it," she added.

The dish, traditionally served with tatties and neeps on Burns' night, usually contains a sheeps lungs, liver and heart minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt mixed with stock.

It is then boiled in the animal's stomach for around three hours.

A spokesman for the US Department of Agriculture said: "We do not allow importation because of the UK's BSE status."

We see no reason at all why people cannot eat haggis safely, so long as manufacturers follow hygiene legislation   Food Standards Agency

"Sheep are susceptible to TSE's and thus the US takes precautions on importing those ruminants from BSE-affected countries."

However, a spokesman for Britain's Food Standards Agency said: "We see no reason at all why people cannot eat haggis safely, so long as manufacturers follow hygiene legislation.

"We have the strictest BSE controls in the world."

[HungarianGypsy]

*Freeper Kitchen Ping**

[SunkenCiv]

thanks sionnsar.

Secret Of Scottish Sheep Evolution Discovered
Science Daily | 1-19-2008 | EurekAlert!
Posted on 01/19/2008 7:06:53 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1956465/posts

[VOA]

usually contains a sheeps lungs, liver and heart minced with onion,
oatmeal, suet, spices and salt mixed with stock.

It is then boiled in the animal's stomach for around three hours.

Baron von Bismark must have never heard of haggis.
Otherwise he'd have said that those who like laws, sausage and haggis
should never watch them being made!

[Stoat]

I love my Scottish heritage and I visited Scotland back in 2001. However, I did not eat Haggis there and I would not eat one here. In fact, upon returning to the states and about to clear customs, a customs officer asked us I we were bring any back!
I told him the same thing. Give me a Talisker instead.

I don't think that just because you don't want to eat a haggis that this somehow makes you "less of a Scot" than those who do.  It's a means of connecting with your heritage, but there are many other ways of doing so that don't involve eating haggis.

A quiet evening by the fire with a Burns collection, a nice glass of Talisker and a bonnie lass sounds like a perfectly wonderful way of asserting your Highland genes   :-)

[Stoat]

Thank you very much for pinging your list  :-)

[snugs]

The open not British Open :o)

[GoforBroke]

Yes I would agree! :)

[Stoat]

 

The local Scottish society makes a passable haggis - equal parts beef, lamb and liver, I think.

I take it that you are in the USA or Canada and so your Society isn't allowed to use offal, or do they do it this way out of their own preference?

One of the members of the pipe band I’m in always brings flour tortillas to Burns Nicht.

Haggis fajitas, mmmmmmmmmmm...

Is the 'usual' way to serve it on toast?

[Stoat]

When I visited Edinburgh a few years ago I saw a blatant attempt to win American tourists over to haggis. A stand on the Royal Mile was selling haggis burgers. Sorry, no sale. I had a fine non-haggis lunch at the World’s End pub instead.

That's a shame.  By doing that they insult Scotland as well as America.

Do things the proper way or not at all, I say!  :-)

[Stoat]

My Daughter gave me that book around a year ago. I am only about half way through it. It is tough going but it is interesing how much of the modern world owes it's roots to Scotland.

I gave it to my mother and she loves it.

My ancestors on both sides are about 95% Scottish. The only two I have found who aren't are Irish. Although I love much of Scottish culture such as bagpipes, I will admit Scottish food doesn't appeal to me.

As others in this thread have mentioned, the sad fact is that a lot of traditional Scottish fare comes from a time of profound, crushing poverty and so it's going to a bit more 'sparse' than what we in the 21st century are accustomed to, but I also love much of the rest about Scotland and her fine people..

Here's a particularly stirring version of Scotland The Brave that you and others here may perhaps enjoy  :-)

YouTube - Scotland the Brave

 

My Daughter gave me that book around a year ago. I am only about half way through it. It is tough going but it is interesing how much of the modern world owes it's roots to Scotland.

I gave it to my mother and she loves it.

My ancestors on both sides are about 95% Scottish. The only two I have found who aren't are Irish. Although I love much of Scottish culture such as bagpipes, I will admit Scottish food doesn't appeal to me.

[wita]

Oh that is just way too close to home.
I doon’t believe I’ve laughed much harder.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Generally, I’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat me first, but I’ll pass on the haggis.

I printed out the article to take to the English guy that works with me. He’ll get a kick out of it. I realize this is about the Scottish, but it’s really fun to get him wound up about the French, LOL!

[dfwgator]

"Get your haggis, right here! Chopped heart and lungs boiled in a wee sheep's stomach! Tastes as good as it sounds. Good for what ails ya!"

[Stoat]

No, dear God the humanity. Caving to the haggis eaters will cause the downfall of American society. The little pouches will be everywhere. Of the smell......s/

If Americans continue on their baffling, breakneck tear toward Socialism and we end up with some limp-wristed Leftist pacifist in the Oval Office one day ((((shudder)))) and with the accompanying drawdown of our military forces that such an awful turn of events would bring, our British Friends may decide that the time is at hand to reverse "that bit of unpleasant business of the late 1700's " and to retake Her colonies.  Although our Home Defense Forces would surely spring into action and repel such an invasion, certain beach-heads may prove tenacious, and we may be subjected to such indignities on our shores as Jellied Eel stands.

 

London

 

 

Brighton Pier

[Stoat]

LMAO!!! :-)

[Toadman]

Thanks alot asshole. You made me spew coffee over my keyboard I was I laughed so hard!

[mad_as_he$$]

lol Sad but true. I have felt for sometime that we should dig up King George and take it all back and let him rule again!

[Rudder]

Thanks alot asshole. You made me spew coffee over my keyboard I was I laughed so hard!

It's the old haggis-in-the-morning "purge-effect."

[Stoat]

lol Sad but true. I have felt for sometime that we should dig up King George and take it all back and let him rule again!

Given a choice of King George, Mrs. Bill Clinton or B. Hussein Obama, I would have to go with King George. 

In fact, I think that it would be a pretty easy call......even though he died blind, deaf and mad.  Sounds better than any of the Dems at their most lucid..

Britannia Monarchs of Britain

[Grammy]

Well, from that list I would eat the onions, spices and perhaps (if I’m in the right mood) the oatmeal.

Guess I’m just not a Haggis type girl.