This coming Saturday is perhaps the biggest day of the year for Scottish cooking – Burns Night is the day in which the Scots skill for bashing turnips and squeezing minced sheep offal into an animal’s stomach bag is celebrated the world over. An absolute culinary essential to any Burns Night supper is the mighty haggis, a savoury pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, and salt, and finally encased in a sheep stomach, or as is more common today, sausage casing. In preparation for Burns Night on Bletherskite, last week I talked all about the supper itself, and this week it’s all about the fare..

Before I came to Scotland I wasn’t quite sure on which side of the Haggis fence I stood. I’m partial to mutton, and I absolutely love oats. However I was also a vegetarian for just over ten years, so the thought of the insides of a sheep minced together in a stomach sack was enough to have me feeling just a little queezy/traitorous. But I’m also not usually one to turn my nose up at something new to try, so low and behold within my first week of being in Scotland the famous delicacy was on offer at dinner at a friends house. My first experience was quite an odd one – I was served carbonara where the pancetta was substituted with haggis. And I absolutely loved it.

Since then I’ve had haggis on pizza, haggis nachos, haggis crisps, vegetarian haggis served on top of a roasted portobello mushroom, and last but not least, the kingpin of traditional Scots fare, ‘Haggis, Neeps and Tatties’. And I’m not alone in my love for this unlikely delicacy – demand is enormous inside and outside of Scotland, and goes through the roof when Burns Night approaches at the end of each January. UK sales of haggis have steadily increased for a number of years, rising from £6.387m to £8.778m in just two years from 2007 to 2009.

In an interview with BBC Food, leading haggis producer Jo Macsween of Macsweens of Edinburgh said they do about 30% of their annual haggis turnover in two weeks, with 50% of their stock heading south of the Scottish border. “We’ll be doing about 2 million portions of haggis in January alone… There’s a very high predominance of Londoners loving haggis, people say, ‘that’s because there are a lot of Scots in London’, well, there can’t be that many… Outside Edinburgh, London is the next biggest haggis eating city in the UK.”

Cosmo Tamburro Jnr face to face with his Burns haggis pizza

Consumers are also becoming increasingly more adventurous in their haggis consumption – Edinburgh based Cosmo Products Ltd recently added a ‘Haggis Pizza’ to its range of luxury pizzas. It’s the UK’s only retail haggis pizza, and is topped with Macsweens Haggis, alongside the more traditional Italian toppings of tomato and mozzarella. Upon launch of the pizza, Cosmo paid tribute to Robert Burns in its own inimitable style, with a one-off pizza portrait of the bard fashioned in haggis.

Generally regarded to be as Scottish as it comes, the origins of Haggis are surprisingly a hotly contested issue. Last year an English Historian made headlines when he declared the meal an English delicacy, claiming the origins of the dish are as made up as tartan. Others believe the dish is French in origin and stems from the time of the Auld Alliance, with the name ‘haggis’ coming form the French word ‘hachis’ which means ‘minced meat’. However most agree the word come from the Scots word ‘hag’ which means to chop or to hack.

Finally below, a quick roundup of the best of Haggis on the web. Whatever your plans for Burns Night this year, we hope it’s a good one! Slàinte mhòr!

• How to Make your Own Haggis – Recipe which includes a step by step photo guide by The Guardian
• Recipe for Vegetarian Haggis – sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s surprisingly gaining in popularity!
• Where to find the best Haggis in the UK – a guide by USA Today
• Buying Haggis in the USA – Haggis is currently banned from import to the states, however the ban looks likely to be lifted later this year.

The post Burns Night Prep – All Things Haggis appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Burns Night came about a few years after the bard’s death, when a few of his pals decided to honour olde Rabbie’s memory with a supper. Today Burns Suppers are held annually on the 25th of January, and involve much merriment that I’m sure the bard would have approved of, including lashings of food, whisky, poetry and dancing.

This will be my first Burns Night in Scotland – last year I was visiting Norway at this time of year and missed out entirely. So since I’m rather new to all this Burns business, I decided to do a bit of research for all of you out there who, like me, will be honouring the bard for the first time

WHO IS ROBBIE BURNS?

Born on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Robbie Burns has an extra special place in Scotland’s heart. You’ll already know what is considered his most famous work, Auld Lang Syne. It’s recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the top three most sung songs in the English language, alongside Happy Birthday and For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. Just to show you how mad about him the Scots are, a 2009 STV poll voted Burns as the Greatest Scot of All Time, narrowly beating William Wallace to the post.

While his early life was hardly prosperous, Burns was given a rounded education which enabled him to develop a love for literature and song. As a young man he worked long and hard hours on the family farm, also developing an appetite for drink and the opposite sex. As well as bringing a huge creative output of poems into the world (including Tam O’ Shanter, Ae Fond Kiss and To a Mouse), Burns was also known for his numerous love affairs, fathering a total of 12 children. It is said the poet has over 600 living descendents, of which American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger claims he is one.

Burns sadly died at the young age of 37 in 1796 as a result of alcoholism and the after-effects of long periods of physical labour in his early life. After Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus, he has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other non-religious figure. Finally, in yet another nice piece of synchronicity between Scotland and my home, the New Zealand town of Mosgiel was named after Robert Burns’ family farm in Ayrshire.

WHAT HAPPENS ON BURNS NIGHT?

A formal Burns Supper full of pomp and circumstance has a particular running order, starting with a piper who welcomes the guests. If you don’t have a piper handy then some traditional music will do. The chair will then begin the evenings proceedings by assembling the guests and introducing the evenings entertainment.

A short but important prayer is then read, authored by none other than Mr Burns. The Selkirk Grace is read in Scots, and goes like this:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

Then, the main event. Guests stand for Piping in the Haggis. The dinner’s star attraction should be delivered on a silver platter, followed by a whisky-bearer to ensure guests and vessels are well lubricated. An honoured reader, with a knife at the ready, will then give a lively and spirited rendition of another Burns classic, Address to a Haggis:

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer
Gie her a haggis!

Before everyone digs in, the crowd then normally toasts the haggis by raising a glass and shouting ‘The haggis!’ in the last line of the poem. Now you’re allowed to eat, drink and be merry. You can find out more about Burns Supper fare below.

Dinner is followed by the Toast to the Lassies, which was once a speech given by a male guest to thank all the women who had prepared the meal. Now, it’s a much more amusing, informal affair and is followed by a Toast to the Laddies, where the women reciprocate with a speech of their own. Recitals of the works of Burns, and much drinking and nibbling will continue well into the night. The chair will close proceedings by inviting guests to stand and belt out a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. The company joins hands and sings as one, having made sure to brush up on those difficult later lines.

 WHAT’S A HAGGIS?

The centrepiece of any good Burns’ Supper menu is the iconic haggis, or as the bard himself described it, the ‘great chieftain o’ the puddin’-race’. Haggis is a dish made of beef suet, beef fat (although some will prefer lamb), lamb pluck (heart and liver), oatmeal, onions and plenty of spices, all wrapped in sheep’s stomach. I swear, it’s absolutely beautiful. You can buy this from your local butcher, deli, supermarket or nearest Scottish store if you live overseas.

Traditional accompaniments to the haggis are neeps and tatties or as they are more commonly known – turnip and potatoes. These are normally served mashed. For a starter, Cock a Leekie soup is a good shout. And for desert, you can’t go wrong with Clootie Dumpling. You can find recipes for both of these in my Scots Christmas Fare post from last year.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Don’t forget our store over at ScotClans has everything you need to ensure you look the part this Burns Night. It’s definitely recommended that you wear at least a little bit of tartan! We’ve got loads of sashes, ties and bowties in stock and ready to ship now. But make sure you get your orders in quick – especially if shipping overseas. Click here to visit our store.

Best of luck for your respective Burns Night celebrations – and don’t forge it’s not cheating to use some modern technology to help you through any unfamiliar parts – the Burns app is a phone-sized guide to everything you need to know, while the Rhyme with Rabbie Burns online game can get you started on creating your own verses.

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Scottish National Portrait Gallery Frieze

As you enter the main hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 150 titans of Scottish history gaze down at you, providing a dramatic introduction to the subjects awaiting you inside the galleries. This impressive chronological frieze by William Hole begins in the stone age, carrying right through till the late 17th century when the painting was completed.

Situated on the upper floor of the hall amongst the frieze and historical murals sits an interactive exhibit that calculates which figure from Scottish history you are most alike. By entering a series of personality traits and physical attributes, the computer programme will trawl through the gallery’s collection to find you your very own Scottish historical counterpart.

After entering my traits and characteristics, the computer whirred into life and reported back that I am most like Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon (c. 1749-1812). The Duchess was a hugely ambitious, outspoken, witty woman who was perhaps most well-known for hosting exquisite and exclusive parties for the Tories. Maybe there was a glitch in the matching system on the day I visited – I’m a rather softly-spoken, creative leftie who would never be caught dead hosting a Tory event.

Jane, Duchess of Gordon and son George – George Romney 1778

‘She looks as fierce as a dragon and contents herself with spending her breath upon politics, and ringing a daily peal in the ears of her poor husband, with whom, Lord William says, she squabbles more than ever.’
- Lady Louisa Stuart on the Duchess of Gordon

Lady Jane Maxwell was born in either 1748 or 1749 to Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, and his wife Magdalene Blair. Sir Maxwell was a drunk who sold most of his 30,000 acre estate in order to make ends meet while Magdalene raised and educated Jane and her other two daughters in a rented flat on Hynford’s Close just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. It was quite normal at the time for titled, land-owning Scottish families to send their daughters to Edinburgh where they could receive further education and be launched upon Edinburgh society.

Lady Jane is said to have been a rather boisterous child, with reports stating she would ride on the backs of pigs set loose in the wynds of Edinburgh’s Old Town. At the age of 14, while playing in the High Street in Edinburgh Jane got her finger caught in the wheel of a cart, tearing it clean off. From then on she wore gloves wherever possible with a wooden finger inside. At the age of 16, Jane is said to have been so beautiful that songs were composed in her honour, including Bonnie Jennie of Monreith, the Flower of Galloway. It was around this time that Lady Jane fell in love with a young Fraser officer. Soon after they met, he was shipped to America with his regiment where he was reportedly killed.

In 1767 at 24 years of age Jane married Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon and chief of Clan Gordon. It was on their honeymoon that Jane received a note from her lost love stating that he was in fact still alive, asking for her hand in marriage. She is said to have fainted upon reading the note. This episode provided the basis of Ciji Ware’s 1989 book Island of the Swans, based loosely on the life and loves of the Duchess. The couple would go on to become one of Britain’s most well-known power couples of the time, influencing politics, fashion and the upper echelons of British society. They had seven children together, however their marriage quickly proved to be a loveless one, with the Duke and Duchess partaking in multiple affairs.

Gordon Castle circa Jane Gordon’s tenure

The Duchess entertained on a lavish scale at her residence in Edinburgh and the family home of Gordon Castle, one of the largest homes in Scotland. She was the authority of fashion in Edinburgh, regularly hosting soirée evenings where up and coming artists were asked to entertain. It was in her drawing room that Robert Burns first read his poetry to Edinburgh society, with the duchess becoming his chief sponsor and also purchasing all his early published works. In 1780 the Duchess and her family moved to London where she continued to host parties for the Tories with a distinctly Scottish flavour. She championed wearing tartan, which at the time was still outlawed. Friends in high places meant she was able to get away with it – even King George was said to be a big fan of the Duchess.

Gordon Highlanders

Perhaps the most well-known tale of the Jane’s exploits is the part she played in the raising of the Gordon Highlanders. In 1793 the French Revolutionary Government declared war on Britain, however the British Army was largely short of recruits, so the Duke of Gordon was tasked with raising a Scottish highland regiment. The Duchess waged a bet with the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, that she could raise more men than him, and set about her task by employing a rather unusual recruiting drive. Aged 45, Jane traveled about the Gordon estates in Scotland dressed in a military uniform and a large black highland bonnet. Recruits were offered a King’s shilling for joining, with Jane enticing them even more by offering the shilling from her lips in the form of a kiss. The Duchess raised over 940 men, with the regiment existing until 1994.

Despite the unhappiness in her marriage the Duchess took great joy in seeking the best marriage matches for her children. She managed to arrange for three of her five daughters to marry Dukes and even took one of her daughters to Paris to try and secure a marriage with Emperor Josephine’s son. General Cornwallis’ son Lord Brome was considered a suitable match for Louisa, the fourth Gordon daughter. However the General refused to approve the marriage citing madness in the Gordon family. The Duchess is said to have allayed his fears by saying there was not one drop of Gordon blood in this particular daughter – with historians suggesting Jane’s lost love Captain Fraser was the father. Louisa and Lord Brome were married in London in April 1795.

By 1805 the marriage between the Duke and Duchess was officially over, after a lengthy separation during which the duke moved his mistress Jane Christie into Gordon Castle. A financial agreement was reached where the Duke would provide a house and financial security to the Duchess, however he failed to keep his word once he ran into financial strife. The Duchess was forced to live in hotels in the later part of her life and died in 1812 at Poultney’s Hotel, Piccadilly, London, surrounded by her four daughters and surviving son. Her body was taken north to be buried at the old Celtic Chapel by the banks of the Spey at Kinrara. There her husband carried out her final wish and erected a monument to her on which were recorded the marriages of her children.

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Robert Burns

The 25th of January, 2010 is the 251st anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s Bard.

On this day all around the world, there will be people celebrating his life and work with a Burns supper. At these suppers poetry by Burns is recitied and people will enjoy the traditional Scottish dish of haggis, along with neeps and tatties, with it all washed down with some whisky. At some suppers the night may even end with a ceilidh.

The first Burns suppers were held in Ayrshire by friends of the poet at the end of the 18th century. These, though, were actually held on anniversary of Burns’ death, 21st July, rather than on his birthday as it is today.

Each Burns Nights will be different to the next, but there usually is a certain order in which the main forms of entertainment happen. If a piper is present, then he’ll play as the guests arrive. Once all of the guest are seated the host will welcome everyone and get the night started.

To get things started the Selkirk Grace is recited to usher in the meal.

Some hae meat and canna eat,

and some wad eat that want it,

but we hae meat and we can eat,

and sae the Lord be thankit.

The first course is usually a traditional Scottish soup, normally Scotch broth or Cock-a-leekie. Once the soup is finished and the dishes cleared away the haggis, for some the nights main attraction, is piped in and placed at the hosts table, in a procession usually including a piper and the person who will be addressing the haggis.

And it is the Address To A Haggis which is recited next before it is served.

The speaker normally has a clean knife ready which will be picked up at the line His knife see rustic Labour dicht, and at the line An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht, plunges it into the haggis and cuts it open from end to end, to the audiences delight.

Once the address is over a whisky toast will be raised to the haggis, and then the food will be served.

Now that the haggis, neeps and tatties has been served and eaten it is time for the rest of the nights entertainment.

Next is the Immortal Memory, where a guest will give a speech about the life and works of Robert Burns. The speech can be either quite serious, or it can be light-hearted and containing a number of jokes. It all depends on the guest speaker and the target audience. Afterwards a toast is made to Burns. The Immortal Memory is followed by a Toast to the Lassies. Traditionally this was a speech made by one the male guests, thanking the women who had prepared the meal. However, nowadays, it is more of a humorous speech aimed at the female guests, and not necessarily meant to be taken too seriously, nor is it to be too offensive, especially since the lassies get to reply with a Reply to the Toast to the Lassies. This retort is of same nature as the mens toast, and may even refer to some points made in the Toast to the Lassies. With the speechs over, the rest of the evening can be filled with live music, dancing, readings or the singing of some of Burns’ work, as well as having a few drinks. The night is ended with a few words of thanks from the host, and inviting everyone to join in and sing Auld Lang Syne.

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Scotland’s Greatest?

As part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations, a poll was held by STV to see who the public believes the greatest ever Scot is. Thousands of people were said to have voted from the list of 35 nominees, with Robert Burns, perhaps aptly, generating the most popularity.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 has Burns as its focus, celebrating the 250th anniversary of his birth, so it is maybe no surprise that the national bard was at the forefront of most peoples minds when it came to this vote.

The list of nominees was split up into six different categories (Arts and Entertainment, Invetors and Entrepreneurs, Leaders and Thinkers, People’s Choice, Scientists and Engineers, and Sport), making sure that Scots from all walks of life were covered.

The top 10 greatest Scots as voted by the public is as follows:

1 ) Robert Burns

2 ) Sir William Wallace

3 ) Sir Alexander Fleming

4 ) Jock Stein

5 ) David Tennant

6 ) Robert the Bruce

7 ) Andrew Carnegie

8 ) Sir William Alexander Smith

9 ) Billy Connolly

10 ) Alex Harvey

However, for many, not only the actual outcome of the top-10 is considered as controversial, but also of the list of nominees, and some of the notable Scots omitted from it, such as nurse Mary Seacole, medical missionary Dr. David Livingstone as well as missonary Mary Slessor, leader of the Protestant Reformation John Knox, and even writer Sir Walter Scott.

What do you think?

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Bob Dylan Names Robert Burns as Biggest Inspiration

Bob Dylan’s music has inspired generations of music lovers. He has now named his own personal inspiration as our favorite Scots poet Robert Burns.

When asked which lyric or verse had the largest impact on his life he chose the 1794 song A Red, Red Rose, which is mostly known as poem, it was originally wrote as a song, penned by the man regarded as Scotland’s national poet.

According to some experts it was based on a song Burns heard a girl singing.

Burns himself, a great pioneer of the Romantic movement, referred to it as a ‘simple old Scots song which I had picked up in the country’.

Dr Gerard Carruthers, director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow, said: ‘A Red, Red Rose is one of the greatest love songs of all time. It’s a song that resonates down the ages. It’s part of the Burns song canon.

‘It’s one of his most emotive and emotional, perhaps his biggest expression of love.

‘Burns was a hugely committed artist who dealt with everyday emotions and big emotions so in that sense it’s not a surprise he’s influenced Dylan.

‘I imagine Dylan will still be loved in 200 years as much as Burns is.’

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