Haggis is an impostor, says butcher – it’s staggis
SCOTLAND’S famous national dish is an “impostor” that has been faking it as native for centuries, according to an award-winning butcher who has traced haggis and its recipe back to Viking invaders.
Joe Callaghan, who has been researching haggis for three years, claims that the evidence is clear – haggis should be made from deer, not sheep.
In addition, it was not invented by the Scots but was instead left behind by marauding Norsemen as they plundered the Scottish coastline during the ninth century, he says.
Mr Callaghan, 50, insists on calling his dish “staggis”, in homage to the wild Highland red deer.
Haggis is more commonly understood to be a sausage made from a sheep’s stomach, stuffed with diced sheep’s liver, lungs and heart, oatmeal, onion, suet and seasoning.
Varying claims about the origins of haggis have been offered over the years, with some even claiming that it dates back to ancient Greece.
But Mr Callaghan, of Argyll and Bute, believes the authentic recipe involves venison, creating a “meatier” flavour, together with port, juniper, balsamic vinegar, redcurrants and spices.
“The Vikings brought haggis to Scotland – we are sure of this,” he said.
“My recipe is based on the original Viking recipe. There are lots of ways of making haggis, and we have made it from wild boar in the past, but if you want to be traditional, it should really be made with venison plucks [heart, liver, lungs and windpipe].
“Scotland’s national dish, as it is widely known, is an impostor. The real national dish is staggis, and always has been.”
He added: “I think over time the recipe has been distorted because it is much easier to mass-produce haggis than it is to mass produce staggis.
“The only reason haggis is associated with Scotland is because of Robert Burns.”