Here are the most appalling:
Black Pudding (aka Blood Pudding) - this is sausage that is made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. Pig or cattle blood is most often used; sheep and goat blood are used also. Typical fillers include meat, fat, bread, sweet potato, barley and oatmeal.
Haggis- this is a traditional Scottish dish that includes sheep's heart, liver and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, fat, spices and salt mixed with stock and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for about three hours. This is usually served with something called 'neeps and tatties'- sounds scary but it just means mashed potatoes and turnips. (note the placement of the Haggis on the tartan (plaid fabric)- nice!)
Haggis
If you ask me, those two dishes are enough to make me NOT want to move to Scotland. Although, everything I read about them said they are very tasty (at least the Haggis- I feel like any dish made out of animal blood should be illegal and certainly unhealthy). However, there are some things that I found that look quite yummy!
Here are the most appealing:
Fish & Chips (served with 'mushy peas')- I think we all know what this is. Mushy peas however is a different story. These are dried peas that are soaked overnight in water and bicarbonate soda and then simmered with sugar and salt until they form a thick green lumpy soup. This may sound nasty to you, but I am one of those people who like my vegetable cooked so long that they melt in your mouth- so I am fairly excited to try these peas!
The green stuff in the ramekin is the mushy peas
Scotch Eggs- this is a cold hard-boiled egg removed from the shell, wrapped in a sausage mixture, coated in bread crumbs and deep-fried.
Scotch Eggs
Deep-Fried Mars Bars- Kyle & I actually had this when we were in Scotland. They are very yummy, but filthy all at the same time. Similar to eating a deep-fried oreo or twinkie (not that I would do that...)
Bangers & Mash- Just a different name for sausage and mashed potatoes.
Bangers and Mash
Hopefully this post has not deterred you in wanting to visit us in Scotland! Also, I'd like to give the disclaimer that I have only partaken in the deep-fried mars bar so all of my opinions and facts are not based in knowledge or experience. I will be certain to update you and disclaim any statements that I have made once (and if) I try these things for myself.
-Stacie
2 comments:
blood pudding:(insert vomiting noise here). James likes it though, and tons of people swear by it. No thanks, not for me. I've had haggis a few times. It's only good when you get it from a reputable butcher. If you're going to eat it, ask around and find a butcher that at least 2-3 people who will recommend their haggis. I know a good one, but it's about 3 hours north of Edinburgh. The drink that Scotland is famous for (other than scotch, of course) is Irn-Bru http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/ pronounced Iron Brew. To me it tastes like cough syrup, but James loves it. I'm beginning to see a pattern with our taste preferences.
A Taiwanese friend of mine used to eat congealed pig's blood. He'd cut it up into little cubes and eat it with a toothpick, kind of like jell-o cubes. For a long time that's been DFL on my list of things I won't eat, but Scotland's giving it a run for it's money.
I'm sure Deacon will love the haggis. Although it may not help his flatulence problem.
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