Every visitor to Edinburgh gets asked the same question before they go home: did you try the haggis? Some answer with pride. Some answer with a slightly haunted look.
A surprising number admit they chickened out at the last minute.
If you are in the third group, this guide is for you. We will explain what haggis actually is, why it comes with neeps and tatties, how to eat it like a local, and where you can try a proper plate of it just off Leith Walk.
What Is Haggis?
Haggis is a savoury pudding, in the old sense of the word. It is made from sheep’s offal, known as the pluck (the heart, liver and lungs), minced and mixed with toasted oatmeal, suet, onion, salt and a good amount of pepper and warm spices. Traditionally the mixture was packed into a sheep’s stomach and simmered; these days most haggis comes in an artificial casing. A traditional whole haggis is simmered gently for around three hours, though shop-bought ones come with their own cooking instructions.
That description puts some people off before they have tasted it, which is a pity. Good haggis is rich, peppery and nutty, with a crumbly texture somewhere between a coarse pâté and a well-seasoned stuffing. If you enjoy black pudding, sausage or a really good meat pie, you will almost certainly enjoy haggis.
Vegetarian haggis has been available commercially since the 1980s too, made with pulses, oats, nuts and vegetables, and it now makes up a decent share of haggis sales in Scotland.
Where Does Haggis Come From?
Here is the twist that annoys Scots: the earliest known written recipe for haggis is English. A verse cookbook from Lancashire, the Liber Cure Cocorum, lists “hagese” around 1430. Cooks across Britain made similar puddings for centuries as a sensible way to use every part of the animal after slaughter.
What made haggis Scottish was Robert Burns. In 1786 he published Address to a Haggis, a poem that opens by hailing it as the “Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!” Burns used haggis as a symbol of honest, hearty Scottish fare against the fussy French-influenced food of the wealthy. The poem stuck, and so did the dish.
Today haggis is firmly Scotland’s national dish. It also has a curious claim to fame abroad: the United States banned imports of traditional haggis in 1971, because American food rules do not allow sheep lung. So if you have friends visiting from the States, this might be their only chance.
What Are Neeps and Tatties?
“Neeps and tatties” is simply Scots for turnip and potatoes, both usually mashed.
Neeps
In Scotland, “neeps” means swede, the large yellow-fleshed root that the English often call swede and Americans call rutabaga. Confusingly, Scots tend to call it turnip as well, which is why you will see “turnip mash” on menus here. It is usually peeled, cut into chunks and boiled for around 20 minutes until very tender, then drained well before mashing. Mashed with butter and plenty of black pepper, it is sweet, earthy and a perfect match for rich haggis.
Tatties
Tatties are potatoes, boiled until tender, drained and left to steam for a minute, then mashed smooth with butter and milk or cream. They are the comfort blanket of the plate, soaking up the sauce and calming the pepper in the haggis.
Why the three go together
Haggis is rich and spiced. Neeps bring sweetness. Tatties bring softness.
Each forkful should have a bit of all three, and that balance is why the combination has lasted. It is also cheap, filling and made from things that store well through a Scottish winter, which mattered a great deal when the dish was taking shape.
The Whisky Sauce Question
Traditionally, haggis, neeps and tatties were served with nothing more than a dram of whisky on the side, sometimes poured over the top. Modern restaurants usually add a sauce, and the two most common are a whisky cream sauce and a peppercorn sauce.
A whisky sauce is made by softening shallots in butter, adding a splash of Scotch, reducing it with stock and finishing with cream. It is rich but rounded, and it ties the plate together without hiding the haggis. That is how we serve ours.
How to Eat Haggis Like a Local
There is no special ceremony for everyday haggis (the ceremony is saved for Burns Night, more on that below). But a few tips help:
- Do not separate everything. Build each forkful with haggis, neeps and tatties together.
- Go easy on extra salt. Haggis is well seasoned already.
- Try it at breakfast. A slice of haggis in a Full Scottish or a breakfast roll is how many Scots eat it most often.
- Pair it with something that can stand up to pepper. A pint of stout, a malty ale or, of course, a whisky.
Where to Eat Haggis in Edinburgh
You will find haggis all over the city, from Royal Mile tourist menus to fine dining tasting plates. If you want to eat it the way locals do, in a relaxed pub with a proper plate and no fuss, head down Leith Walk.
At Brunswick Book Club haggis turns up in more places on the menu than almost anything else. Here is where to find it.
Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (£14.75)
Our main course version keeps it classic: haggis, mashed turnip and mashed potatoes with whisky sauce. It is on the main menu, served from noon to 10pm every day. Prices are from our food menu at the time of writing.
Balmoral Chicken
For something a little more dressed up, Balmoral Chicken is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, wrapped in Parma ham and served with turnip mash, French beans and a light whisky sauce. It is a good first step for anyone nervous about a full plate of haggis. We have written a whole guide to Balmoral chicken if you want the background.
At breakfast
The Full Scottish breakfast includes haggis alongside the bacon, sausage, black pudding and potato scone. You can also have haggis in a breakfast roll, or try one of our favourites: Eggs with Haggis and Chilli Jam, two poached eggs on toasted English muffins with haggis and a sweet chilli jam.
Breakfast runs from 10am to 5pm daily, so there is plenty of time to work up the nerve. See our guide to brunch on Leith Walk for the full breakfast menu.
What to Drink With Haggis
Whisky is the obvious answer, and you will not be told off for ordering one. But a long drink often works better with a full plate.
From our drinks menu, a pint of Guinness or the Alpacalypse IPA on draught both have the character to match the pepper in the haggis. If you want to keep it local, Pilot’s Leith Lager is brewed just down the road in Leith. And if you are not drinking, the alcohol-free Guinness is a very good stand-in.
For the full Scottish experience, finish with an Irn Bru. It is not a pairing any sommelier would recommend, but it is a pairing half of Scotland swears by.
Haggis and Burns Night
Burns Night falls on 25 January, Robert Burns’ birthday, and it is the one night of the year when haggis gets the full treatment. You will also find it on plenty of tables at Hogmanay and on St Andrew’s Day. The first Burns supper was held in 1801 by the poet’s friends in Ayrshire, and the format has barely changed since.
At a traditional Burns supper, the haggis is carried in, often to the sound of bagpipes. Someone recites Address to a Haggis, cuts the haggis open with a flourish at the right line, and everyone toasts it with whisky. Then comes the eating, followed by speeches, songs and, eventually, Auld Lang Syne.
You do not need to wait until January to enjoy haggis, but if you are planning a Burns Night supper with friends, keep an eye on our homepage and Instagram for what is on, and get in touch about group bookings.
Is Haggis Healthy?
Haggis is a hearty dish, made for cold days and long walks, so nobody is claiming it as a diet food. That said, it has more going for it than its reputation suggests.
Oatmeal provides fibre, and the liver and heart are good sources of iron, zinc and B vitamins. Paired with neeps and tatties, it makes a balanced plate of protein, starch and vegetables, especially if you go steady on the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is haggis made of?
Haggis is made from sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced with oatmeal, suet, onion and spices. It is cooked in a casing, traditionally a sheep’s stomach.
What are neeps and tatties?
Neeps are mashed swede (called turnip in Scotland) and tatties are mashed potatoes. They are the traditional accompaniment to haggis.
What does haggis taste like?
Rich, peppery and slightly nutty, with a crumbly texture. Many people compare it to a well-spiced sausage meat or black pudding.
Where can I eat haggis in Edinburgh?
Plenty of pubs and restaurants serve it. At Brunswick Book Club on Leith Walk, haggis features in our Haggis, Neeps and Tatties main, Balmoral Chicken, the Full Scottish breakfast and our eggs with haggis and chilli jam.
What sauce goes with haggis, neeps and tatties?
A whisky cream sauce is the most popular. Peppercorn sauce is a common alternative. We serve ours with whisky sauce.
When is Burns Night?
Burns Night is on 25 January each year, Robert Burns’ birthday. It centres on a Burns supper, with haggis as the star of the table.
Is haggis banned in the USA?
Traditional haggis has been banned from import into the United States since 1971 because it contains sheep lung, which American food-safety rules do not permit.
Try It on Leith Walk
First haggis or hundredth, it deserves to be eaten somewhere warm with a good drink in hand. Book a table at Brunswick Book Club and finally answer the question properly: yes, you tried the haggis, and yes, you would have it again.
