Haggis, an undiscovered delicacy

Every country has a national dish and Scotland is no exception but what does make it unique is that for many people it is only served once a year at a special dinner called a Burns Supper after Scotland’s most famous poet Robert “Robbie” Burns and held on the 25^th January..

For other people that love and enjoy haggis it is a dish that is eaten as regularly as possible

Many people when they learn what haggis is made from flatly refuse to even try it but what they fail to understand is that there is no one recipe with each glen or valley in Scotland having its own unique and often secret recipe.

In its most basic format haggis is a blend of the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep combined with onion, suet and oatmeal then boiled in the stomach of the sheep. Traditional haggis is still made this way but the more commercial manufacturing uses artificial casings.

Tradition has it that it should be eaten with Neaps and tatties –swede and potatoes and accompanied by a glass of whiskey. If you are doing the whole thing properly then it should be accompanied by a whisky from the same glen as the haggis comes from.

There is no historical data as to where haggis came from or even when it was first served. The earliest mention of it in the UK is in 1430 in a recipe cookbook published in Lancashire, not what you would expect from a Scottish dish…. Other records show mentions of a similar recipe in Homer’s Odyssey some 2,200 years earlier.

Whenever it was first thought of it Haggis has certainly been a staple of the Scottish diet for many centuries and its cooking process in the sheep’s stomach made it easy to carry and therefore popular.

It is not just for eating that haggis is known for – there is also haggis hurling where the world record has stood for 26 years when a 1.5 lb haggis was thrown for 180 feet, nearly 60 meters.

Haggis is also popular in the United States but unfortunately they cannot have the traditional style of cooking as the government banned the import of products containing sheep’s lung so they are left to make do with the artificial casings – but that just leaves more of the good stuff for us.

Contrary to popular folk lore haggis is not a small creature that lives in Scotland running around mountains with 2 legs longer than the other to ensure it does not fall down the steep slopes. That said 30% of Americans when asked thought that it was – if only we could capture some of them and put them on display.

So raise a glass of whiskey and toast to the “Chieftain of the Pudding Race” – the haggis.

Champagne is an English Drink – really

There has always been animosity between the French and the English going back for centuries. No one truly knows why, it could have something to do with the fact that much of France was once owned by England all the way down to Burgundy or that we have been at war with each other for much of the last 500 years.

One thing to really upset the French is to inform them that Champagne is actually an English drink that the French now make and claim exclusivity on the name.

There is a popular misconception that Champagne was invented by Dom Perignon back in the late 17^th century after being instructed by his abbot to get rid of the bubbles that kept forming in the bottles and making them explode.

It was in 1662 that an English scientist Christopher Merret described the process whereby sugar left in the bottles created second fermentation and therefore bubbles. This was normally as a result of the cold winters in Epernay where much of the original champagne wine was made stopping the fermentation process early.

This paper when it was presented to the merchants of London was some 20 years before Dom Perignon’s attempts to remove the bubbles from the wine that at the time was being called Devil’s wine

Because London at that time was the center of the world for commerce all of the best wines were being shipped to London for consumption or onwards trade around the world.

The adding of sugar to the wines to create bubbles was soon a roaring success but it did not overcome the problem of the exploding bottles.

As is often the case it was a second invention, again English, that overcame this problem and allowed the world to enjoy a drink that is associated with every special event and with success.

In the late 17^th century the English were experimenting with glass making and discovered that using coal in the firing process generated much higher temperatures and therefore much stronger glass. Coupled with the rediscovery of the use of corks as stoppers, something the Romans had known 1700 years earlier the English were able to allow the fermentation process to continue in the bottle with out the risk of having them explode.

The English now had access to the best of everything – great quality wines from the Champagne region of France, sparkling bubbles and the means to keep them.

It was not long before avarice set in and the flow of wine from France to London reduced and the importation of stronger glass into France commenced.

So there you have it – despite all of their claims that Champagne is the best wine in the world, and that it is French it took English know how to give it to the world.

Something else that you probably don’t know about Champagne, and the French are keeping REALLY quiet about this is that the best Champagne style wines now come from England and not France. Take a look at a map of Europe and you will see that the chalky Downs of Southern England are right opposite those of Epernay. With the rise of global temperatures the optimum conditions for growing perfect champagne grapes now exist along a narrow line in England...... and the French wine making houses have brought up all the land in the area.

So raise your glass and toast “the English Drink”

Pizza Peace Please

When is a pizza not a pizza? Well if the World Pizza Council (yes they really do exist) has their way a certain pizza company in Thailand will no longer be able to serve “pizzas”.

The council, based in Naples, have complained about the way in which the company have changed from the original idea of a pizza to new concept ideas as being an insult to the memory of their ancestors.

So upset are they that they have filed a complaint in a European court to get them to stop using the word pizza and described what the company are making as being “deformed culinary abuses” Quite a statement but nowhere near as bad as their final comment describing the newest seafood creation including artificial crab stick as being “a crime against humanity”

Given the atrocities occurring around the world calling a culinary dish a crime against humanity has got to be taking things a little too far.

Having read all this it got me thinking just when the first pizzas came into being.

The exact date of the first pizza is not know exactly as these were developed from peasant food where olive oil, herbs and cheese were spread over unleavened bread by the Greeks and the Romans enjoyed honey, cheese and basil on a base.

The first official record of a pizza being served as a meal was in 1889 when Queen Margherita of Savoy whilst visiting Naples was served a dish with Mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil on a baked bread base. As a result of this dinner the dish we all know as a Margherita pizza was born.

American claims that pizza is an American dish are therefore dashed as the earliest record of a pizza being served in the USA is 75 years later..... They are however one of the largest consumer of pizza in the world including gastronomy tour who visit and stay in apartment in Italy. So contentious is the issue of what is a genuine pizza that in 2009 the European Court passed legislation describing what constituted a “traditional Italian pizza” and included what ingredients could be used.

Where ever you travel in the world you will find local variations and ingredients unique to individual countries and this really makes the complaint from the World Pizza Council a little spurious as every country is experimenting with this traditional dish especially when you look at the pizzas made in Chicago.

The acknowledged pizza capital of the world is Sao Paulo in Brazil where there are an estimated 6,000 pizza dining establishments with over 1.5 million pizzas consumed every day. Some of these are dessert pizzas with toppings such as chocolate or banana, something that is seldom found elsewhere.

New Year diet foods

So if you are like me you have finished the Christmas and New Year Season and realised that there is less of your shoes in view when you look down or it is that little bit harder when you bend over to tie your shoe laces.

No fears as the answer is at hand – eat more......

Yes I did say eat more as it has been shown that eating regularly can help with dieting – many Asians eat 6 or 7 times a day and are slim and not over weight like us westerners.

Every year a new diet fad comes onto the market encouraging us to eat more fibre, or less carbohydrates or just raw foods. However some truths have been known for many years and some of them are listed below – be warned that some of them do not fit in with current thinking as far of diets are concerned, but then someone has to find a reason for you to buy their book and read their diet plan.

Eggs – these have always been know as a great way to start the day as they are full of protein and help fill you up at the start of the day reducing what you will want to eat for the rest of the day. Try not to fry them...

Beans – always a favourite of diets as they contain cholecystokinin which is a natural appetite suppressant and are also high in fiber which helps make you feel full for longer

Grapefruit – something in a grapefruit can help reduce your natural insulin levels making your body convert calories into energy rather than fat.

Cinnamon – a great way to stave off those mid day sugar rushes cinnamon can also help lower blood sugars and cholesterol and of particular interest to those with type 2 diabetes.

Olive Oil – People from Mediterranean countries have known the benefits of olive oil for centuries and it is surprising what you can put olive oil. A great way to take olive oil in your diet is to eat it soaked into bread, especially whole grain.

And when you have done all of this tuck into a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine to celebrate all that weight you have lost and the healthy food you have been eating.

Another good way you could try, for basic experience, is to find an enriched menus in some restaurants in Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, those were places where many people think of when dining out for the original.

Plink, Plonk, Fizz

“Here we come a-wassailing amongst the leaves so green, here we come a wandering so far to be seen”

How many of us have sung that Christmas carol without knowing what it means, or even wondering? To wassail is old English meaning good health and in ancient times villagers would gather in the village to eat on hot cakes and cider and then visit the orchard and toast the apple trees for good luck the following year. 

Often a cake soaked in cider would be placed in the fork of the trees and more cider poured over it in hope for a bountiful crop. The best part of the night is the wassail bowl in which large quantities of cider, brandy, ale and spices are placed and then heated. Everyone would then drink from the bowl with the children and women singing songs and the men firing guns to ward of evil spirits. Some parts of Herefordshire and the West Country in the UK still carry out this ancient tradition but usually without the guns.

Other countries also have their traditional Christmas drinks and here is just a few of them. See how many you can tick off you list of having tried. Add a point if you have had them in their country of origin.

Eggnog – UK, particularly East Anglia.

This is often thought to have originated in Belgium or Holland and made from advocaat but the earliest records show it to be from the UK and made from milk, raw eggs, sugar, nutmeg and spices to which alcohol is added, typically brandy, whisky or rum. It should be served hot more often is served chilled.

Cola De mono – Chile

Very similar to Eggnog this is arguardiente (firewater), rum, boiled milk and anis

Posset – Scotland

This drink goes back to the 14^th or 15^th century and is made from hot milk, honey, nutmeg, oatmeal, salt and whisky

Gluhwein – most of Central Europe

This is normally heated red wine with spices added, very often clove or nutmeg and nearly every country in Central Europe has its own variant. In Scandinavian countries it is called Glogg

Julmust – Sweden

A non alcoholic drink that can normally only be found at Christmas although sometimes also at Easter. It was invented in 1910 and it is rumored that only 1 person knows the full recipe. During the Christmas period Julmust outsells Coca Cola and represents 50% of all non-alcoholic drinks consumed over Christmas.

A number of countries, Belgium and Germany in particular brew special Christmas ales that are frequently a lot stronger than their normal fare and these can often be full of flavour and bring on the feeling of Christmas very quickly so be warned. For something different try a fruit beer this Christmas.

Wine has always been a traditional accompaniment to festive dinners and Christmas is no exception so why not treat your self to a special wine this year. A really good Burgundy goes well with the dinner or possibly a Chablis if you prefer white. Take a vintage port with the cheese at the end of the meal.

Champagne has been associated with celebrations of all kinds for centuries and makes for a magnificent start to the Christmas dinner. What many do not know is that it also goes very well with white meats, particularly turkey given that it is often mainly Chardonnay grape. There are a number of very good champagne style wines that mimic champagne but you cannot beat the right thing for Christmas.

Whatever you choose this Christmas do it in the company of friends and raise a glass to their health.

To gobble or not to gobble, that is the question.

“Tis the season to be jolly” so the carol goes but not if you are one of the 15m turkeys in the UK or 22m in the USA that will be consumed on Christmas Day this year.

This means that 1 in 3 people in the UK will consume a traditional turkey dinner this Christmas making it the highest percentage in the world. Accompanying the turkey will be a host of vegetables depending on where you come from in the world but in the UK it would traditionally be served with roast potatoes, carrots, parsnip, peas and brussel sprouts. Sauces accompanying the turkey include gravy, cranberry sauces and bread sauce.

There are over a dozen different species of turkey but the most popular is the white breasted that was genetically created over 50 years ago to give the most meat and therefore better value. More traditional species are smaller but have much more taste and are growing in popularity.

It is not sure when turkey became the main meat for Christmas in the West as goose was very popular in the UK during the 19^th century and villages often saw turkeys and geese being escorted to market wearing little booties. The first turkey was thought to have been brought to the UK in 1526 by William Strickland, a Yorkshireman

Turkey was also the first meal eaten on the moon by Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, not a bad feat for an animal that in most variants cannot fly.

It is also a good job that Ben Franklin did not get his own way as he thought that the turkey should be the national bird of America and not the bald eagle…….

Resident turkeys in countries such as on a beachfront apartment in Australia, Poland, Lithuania and the Ukraine have a much better view of Christmas as many people in these countries celebrate Christmas with a 12 dish Christmas Eve Supper said to represent the 12 months of the year or the 12 apostles. No meat, egg or milk dishes may be served so the turkeys get to see Christmas day to.

Other meats popular around the world to celebrate Christmas include pork, lamb and various species of fish

Personally speaking Christmas just isn't Christmas without turkey although a bar b que on a quiet beach on a tropical island with plenty of cocktails is starting to come very close. Chances are that I may have the opportunity to do both this year.

Merry Christmas and an alcoholic New Year to all

It’s a Fowl world

I recently attended a gourmet dinner where they match the wines with the food rather than the other way around which is the more common, and easier.

The whole dinner was superb and a great example where the right wines can greatly improve a dish. It was also a first for a couple of the meats that we had.

Although I have eaten all around the world and attended numerous gourmet dinners I had never eaten Frogs Legs before the other night and had often wondered what they tasted like. I was once told they were a bit like a fishy chicken which in itself made me wondered what on earth a fishy chicken tasted like and how it would get that way.

Then it occurred to me that we often compare things to chicken – snake was described to me as being a little like chicken and having eaten it I would have to agree if you only eat bland chickens.

We also had rabbit at the dinner which was once described to me as little like chicken. At this point I knew that some people needed to experience more foods as rabbit is nothing like chicken.

The chicken that is served in the Western world is often bland and unappetizing so it can be hardly surprising that anything bland is similarly compared. If you have been fortunate enough to have eaten chicken in Africa or in Asia that has been free range you will know that it is full of flavours and should not be compared with bland meats.

I wonder if when meting someone who had never eaten chicken, should such a person exist, but had instead grown up eating frogs would his friends tell him chicken tasted similar to frogs?

What did they frogs taste like? Well they were a little salty but that may have been due to the preparation – served in a puff pastry case they were very pleasant although may have been better with a crams sauce. Definitely something to be repeated.

A stranger meat that we had that night, again for the first time for many of us, was Sweetbreads. These are the thymus, or throat glands, in our instance from calves and to be frank were one of the strangest meats I have ever eaten. Very bland in flavour and having virtually no consistency due to having been soaked in milk before frying I found them to be particularly unappetizing. I trouble to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to these meats.

One rumor was dispelled that night in that Sweetbreads are not usually gonads, or balls, as many of us had thought. Although they can be these are more commonly called Rocky Mountain Oysters – another delicacy to look forward to.