, but it's the stuff of legend for many Americans. If you ask an American to name a few Scottish foods, they'll probably mention haggis, , and maybe (which are actually English, not Scottish). Unfortunately, haggis is often the subject of unfair ridicule in the U.
S., with many folks writing it off as gross or unappetizing. Some don't even know what haggis is — in a 2003 survey, 33% of American tourists in Scotland thought haggis was a wild animal (via ).
Haggis is decidedly not a living creature. The dish traditionally consists of oatmeal, onion, beef fat, spices, and pluck — a blend of sheep's heart, liver, and lungs. The mixture is then soaked in stock and boiled in a sheep's stomach or sausage casing.
The finished product is considered a pudding, although it bears little resemblance to the American conception of pudding as a sweet dessert (which is perhaps part of why it gets such a bad rap stateside). Canned haggis in the U.S.
, however, is a bit different from the traditional version, as the USDA dictates that it mustn't contain sheep's lung (In fact, the agency forbids the sale of any lungs for human consumption). Instead, the canned version must rely on other parts of the animal, such as the aforementioned heart and liver, or even lamb rib meat. Some brands forego sheep altogether and make haggis from sirloin or Highland beef.
The USDA prevents the sale of traditional haggis in the States In defense of the Americans who thought haggis was an animal, this idea is a l.