Well today was Robbie Burns Day, but there was no haggis in this house. We live in English and French Canadian eh? So tonight we ate Italian.
Thank goodness.
The offal in question is what was bobbing in the cauldron. It's organ meat – lamb kidneys, liver, hearts and lungs. Once they were darkly red, glistening specimens of varying texture: firm hearts; resilient, elastic kidneys; puffy, yielding lungs; glutinous liver. Soon, they would be simmered down and ground up.
Because parading something like that about, and then eating it, is so Old Scotland, and more than I can stomach.
But of course, because I come from the rebel highlands.
I'm proud of my Scottish heritage, and the Scottish in everyone.
I'm proud that a nation of warriors has one of the world's strongest peace movements.
I'm proud of a country where social programs are considered a good thing, and university education is free.
And I do love this poem.
Verse Five is a prayer that Sense and Worth shall eventually agree with all mankind. Burns imagines a future world in which all people will live as brothers, in mutual trust and respect. "It's coming yet, for a' that".
It helps me believe that we will beat the bullies and the bigots, and defeat the Cons and their masters in Big Business who would grind us down to dust. Or turn us into slaves.
And when Paolo Nutini, the pride of Paisley, and New Scotland, sings the auld poem.
It's even BETTER...
So here's to Robbie Burns.
Down with the awful offal, and the offal Cons
Up with the rebels.
Long live the Scottish Nation !!!
Recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.
*solidarity fist pump*!
ReplyDeleteWhen I had haggis for the first and only time in the small Scottish town (Kelso) where my great-grandfather was born, I rather liked it. However, the smell of it was an entirely different matter. Happy belated RB Day!
ReplyDeletehi feral geographer...Not for the
ReplyDeletehaggis I hope. ;)
But yeah, it's a small country, but Scotland forever !!!!
hi Omar....you know although it was in the fridge for days every year, I have never tasted it, or if I did I can't remember. And to be honest I can't remember the adults being too eager to share it with the children. There's only so much you can squeeze into a sheep's stomach. However, these days it's easier. If you go to a Tesco in Scotland you can find vegetarian or even...brace yourself...currie haggis. So if I'm ever forced to eat it I'm going with that one... :)
ReplyDelete