Ian ConstantineRugby League World Cup; Scotland 1 Haggis 1
October 17th 2008 04:39
There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.
Haggis somewhat resembles stuffed intestines (pig intestines otherwise known as chitterlings or the kokoretsi of traditional Balkan cuisine), sausages and savoury puddings of which it is among the largest types. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour."
I can say without any equivocation that this stuff stinks!
How anyone could eat this stuff is beyond me, but one by one, the Scottish team lined up to taste the Haggis with some enjoying the traditional dish, while others were left looking for the closet garbage bin/ corner to spew...
And so it was, honours shared on the Scots' first official media outing...
n the absence of hard facts as to haggis' origins, popular folklore has provided more fanciful theories. One is that the dish originates from the days of the old Scottish cattle drovers. When the men left the highlands to drive their cattle to market in Edinburgh the women would prepare rations for them to eat during the long journey down through the glens. They used the ingredients that were most readily available in their homes and conveniently packaged them in a sheep's stomach allowing for easy transportation during the journey. Other speculations have been based on Scottish slaughtering practices. When a Chieftain or Laird required an animal to be slaughtered for meat (whether sheep or cattle) the workmen were allowed to keep the offal as their share.
Haggis is an amusing subject for many people. Along with some other foods associated with a specific country or region (such as Australia's Vegemite, Norway's lutefisk, or Scandinavia's salmiakki), it's perceived to be loved in its home country and loathed by the rest of the world.
Many tourists are also duped (or nearly duped) by Scottish pranksters attempting to lead them on a 'Wild Haggis Hunt'. The Scotsman newspaper's web site runs an annual Haggis Hunt.
Haggis is also used in a sport called haggis hurling, throwing a haggis as far as possible. The present Guinness World Record for Haggis Hurling has been held by Alan Pettigrew for over 22 years. He threw a 1.5 lb Haggis an astonishing 180 feet, 10 inches on the island of Inchmurrin, Loch Lomond, in August 1984
The most notable player in the Scotland team is without doubt Manly's Grand Final hat-trick hero Michael Robertson, who was in good spirits joking about with his new teammates who were revelling in hamming up every stereotypical Scottish tradition.
War paint, and poor attempts to recreate Mel Gibson's Braveheart scene was met with rapturous laughter.
But in the end, they are here to play Rugby League and were put through their paces for about an hour at Mattravile Sport's High.
Scotland will take on France on Sunday, October 26, at Canberra Stadium before clashing with Fiji at BlueTongue Stadium on Wednesday, November 5.
The Scots will look to Warriors revelation Ian Henderson (hooker) to spark their attack, Henderson was the catalyst for the Warriors surge towards the finals and will prove invaluable to their cause.
Scotland's Michael Robertson takes on the Haggis
Haggis somewhat resembles stuffed intestines (pig intestines otherwise known as chitterlings or the kokoretsi of traditional Balkan cuisine), sausages and savoury puddings of which it is among the largest types. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour."
I can say without any equivocation that this stuff stinks!
Heart, liver, lungs, oatmeal... who came up with this?
How anyone could eat this stuff is beyond me, but one by one, the Scottish team lined up to taste the Haggis with some enjoying the traditional dish, while others were left looking for the closet garbage bin/ corner to spew...
And so it was, honours shared on the Scots' first official media outing...
"You will never take our FREEEEEDOM"
n the absence of hard facts as to haggis' origins, popular folklore has provided more fanciful theories. One is that the dish originates from the days of the old Scottish cattle drovers. When the men left the highlands to drive their cattle to market in Edinburgh the women would prepare rations for them to eat during the long journey down through the glens. They used the ingredients that were most readily available in their homes and conveniently packaged them in a sheep's stomach allowing for easy transportation during the journey. Other speculations have been based on Scottish slaughtering practices. When a Chieftain or Laird required an animal to be slaughtered for meat (whether sheep or cattle) the workmen were allowed to keep the offal as their share.
Haggis is an amusing subject for many people. Along with some other foods associated with a specific country or region (such as Australia's Vegemite, Norway's lutefisk, or Scandinavia's salmiakki), it's perceived to be loved in its home country and loathed by the rest of the world.
Many tourists are also duped (or nearly duped) by Scottish pranksters attempting to lead them on a 'Wild Haggis Hunt'. The Scotsman newspaper's web site runs an annual Haggis Hunt.
Haggis is also used in a sport called haggis hurling, throwing a haggis as far as possible. The present Guinness World Record for Haggis Hurling has been held by Alan Pettigrew for over 22 years. He threw a 1.5 lb Haggis an astonishing 180 feet, 10 inches on the island of Inchmurrin, Loch Lomond, in August 1984
The most notable player in the Scotland team is without doubt Manly's Grand Final hat-trick hero Michael Robertson, who was in good spirits joking about with his new teammates who were revelling in hamming up every stereotypical Scottish tradition.
War paint, and poor attempts to recreate Mel Gibson's Braveheart scene was met with rapturous laughter.
But in the end, they are here to play Rugby League and were put through their paces for about an hour at Mattravile Sport's High.
Scotland will take on France on Sunday, October 26, at Canberra Stadium before clashing with Fiji at BlueTongue Stadium on Wednesday, November 5.
The Scots will look to Warriors revelation Ian Henderson (hooker) to spark their attack, Henderson was the catalyst for the Warriors surge towards the finals and will prove invaluable to their cause.
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