Haggis

[Doug]

Watching the program 'How It's Made' on the Science channel.  The subject was the Scottish favorite breakfast meat 'Haggis'. Often served with mashed potatoes and turnips, known as 'neeps & tatties'.

 

They show the entire process of simmering down beef fat, and mixing that with lamb lungs (and sometimes heart or liver). The lung appeared especially bloody as it was added.

 

Made me wonder if the brothers avoid this particular food item?

[Miss Mouse]

I've seen it hanging in the British butcher shop window .......I can hardly look at it and it turns my stomach !

But I like pickled pigs feet .......figure that one out

[stuagu]

Hi doug

I am pretty sure blood is one of the ingredients of haggis ? Perhaps someone can confirm ? Just the thought of all the bits wrapped in a stomache turned me off way before wether it contains blood as well. :-(

Black pudding is another dish over here and that definately contains blood. :-(

Yuk !

[Mykyl]

No blood is not an ingredient of Haggis. Look at any piece of meat in a butchers and you will see blood on and around it. The lungs are no different to any other piece of meat.

 

In fact this post has disturbed me as not once in my almost 50 years of life has anyone ever suggested a problem with Haggis.

 

The animal is bled and prepared properly.

Black pudding specifically has blood added to the ingredients.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Mykyl

[Astrid]

In Austria lots of people eat "Blutwurst" (bloodsausage) it's kind of a speciality and looks so disgusting. About 20% blood (from pigs) is added.

[Stavro]

In some recipes, the stomach is specifically filled with blood after the other ingredients are added. Granted, this may be a regional tradition rather than common to most/all haggis, but it's common enough that the Watchtower used the words "made of blood". (w65 5/1 p. 276)

[bohemian]

No mention of blood being added in traditional Scottish recipes:

 

http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/haggis2.htm

[chuck83]

Good question. I don't know. I don't know much about bleeding animals but I assume if the animal is bled the right way maybe it doesn't matter? Something like the liver I would think can be saturated in blood but people still eat it. Too me liver tastes like blood. But I don't know.

[Mykyl]

In some recipes, the stomach is specifically filled with blood after the other ingredients are added. Granted, this may be a regional tradition rather than common to most/all haggis, but it's common enough that the Watchtower used the words "made of blood". (w65 5/1 p. 276)

I can assure you that the last time Haggis ever had blood added was in the 17th century. It is neither regional nor usual in any way for Haggis to have blood added. I do not know why that story comes to say Haggis is made of blood. My eldest son who is a butcher would also laugh at that. Blood is never added to Haggis. That is Black pudding or Blood sausage etc.

 

Ingredients :-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/haggis_66072

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/Haggis.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/haggis

 

Do a search. Might have to speak to one of our elders as that article could cause real confusion and is more likely a translation issue I would reckon. Perhaps that article needs to be checked...

 

I repeat. There is no blood in Haggis other than what is common to all meats.

 

Edited April 5, 2014 by Mykyl

[bohemian]

In some recipes, the stomach is specifically filled with blood after the other ingredients are added. Granted, this may be a regional tradition rather than common to most/all haggis, but it's common enough that the Watchtower used the words "made of blood". (w65 5/1 p. 276)

The Watchtower reference is to a Brazilian variant, buchada, which normally would not contain blood either. Perhaps the instance referred to was a specific haggis known in the area to contain blood too.

http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/promise-fulfilled-buchada.html

[stuagu]

ok ... thats why i said please could someone confirm,  before we get too many knickers in a twist... i wasnt sure so youve confirmed what you think (or know)  but i still wont eat something that already looks like its passed thru my digestive system and i wouldnt eat it on yours or anybody elses word,

saying that a quick google finds an old recipe :-

 

 

 The use and vertues of these two severall kinds of Oate-meales in maintaining the Family, they are so many (according to the many customes of many Nations) that it is almost impossible to recken all;” and then proceeds to give a description of “oat-meale mixed with blood, and the Liver of either Sheepe, Calfe or Swine, maketh that pudding which is called the Haggas or Haggus, of whose goodnesse it is in vaine to boast, because there is hardly to be found a man that doth not affect them

— Gervase Markham, The English Huswife

it seems modern recipies dont have it but some older ones obviuosly did so its not without basis that we should be cautious ?

that would seem only prudent ... no ?

 

if no blood then you eat the "offal looking thing"...

Edited April 5, 2014 by stuagu

[Mykyl]

I give up.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Mykyl

[Stavro]

I don't think anyone is saying haggis is forever off-limits because of one possible mistranslation, only that we should be cautious of anything we eat.
 
Besides haggis, practically all processed meats have a chance of having blood by-products injected as a bonding agent ("meat glue"). That doesn't necessarily mean we should shun every processed meat we see, after all they are only enzymes extracted from blood (which are a conscience matter - lv pp. 215-216), and the meat is cooked thoroughly before eating, so even with the injections it likely has less blood by volume than even the meals the priests ate in ancient Israel. But as with all things, we should research the matter beforehand and make an informed decision, rather than simply assume that Satan's world would clearly label any blood-based ingredients.

 
http://seattletimes.com/html/foodwine/2018184672_meatglue11.html
Further, 10 meat and cold-cut processors and fast-food outlets — including Tyson Food, Cargill Meats, McDonald's and Arby's — were contacted, but all declined to discuss whether they used transglutaminase or blood-extract products, saying either it was proprietary, or, if they did use them, it need not be reported because the binders were considered a "processing aid."

[Julsey]

I ate haggis on a special occasion at university when I lived in Scotland, and I can say that in three years I never heard of blood being added, and none of the brothers and sisters there ever talked about blood being added to it or it being 'off limits.'  As Mike says, this probably hasn't been done for centuries.

 

[Doug]

I wasn't suggesting it should be off limits.  Until watching the program, I never heard of the product.

 

That said, in the film, the lungs were dumped out of a tub and had dark pockets of what appeared to be clotted or congealed blood.  It doesn't even hint at blood added during the production.

 

If a link to the program could be found, I think everyone would understand what led to the question.

[Doug]

Try this:

 

http://www.tv.com/shows/how-its-made

 

Go to:  See Full Episode Guide

 

Find Episode field:  Type in - Haggis

 

Result:  Episode 14  5/21/10

 

Enjoy!

[Mykyl]

I want to apologize as I have in effect made something out of nothing in this thread. A lesson has been learned. When not having the best of days, I need to think further as to whether I should get involved in a particular thread. Perhaps stay away for that day.

 

Thanks

[stuagu]

:-)

[Elijahsmama]

I watched the video and I am pretty sure cholesterol level went up 20 points. I eat "odd" things like scrapple for instance so I shouldnt have an opinion. However blood or no blood (probably no blood) I am not sure I would eat it. Unless

I was in Scotland with a single malt, that might encourage me.