O what a glorious sight!

The traditional supper to celebrate the work of Robert Burns tends to be a lively affair. Sue Lawrence looks at the elements that can help make the evening a success

There is no such thing as a quiet Burns Supper. No matter where it takes place – in a hotel, church hall or one's own home – it will not be, by nature, sedate. Part of Scottish culture for some 200 years, the ritual was begun by close friends of the poet Robert Burns after his death in 1796 in tribute to his memory. And although the basic format of the evening has remained unchanged over the years (The Selkirk Grace, The Immortal Memory, The Toast to the Lassies, its response and so on), the food has moved with the times, while adhering more or less to the soup, haggis, Scottish pudding formula. And as for the drink – with obligatory whisky for all the toasts (of which there are many) – is it any
wonder that the event is a far from quiet affair?

Haggis is the centre point of Burns Suppers, not only because it is now revered as Scotland's national dish (which is different from Scotland's everyday fare – mince and tatties) but because of Burns' poem To A Haggis.

During the third verse, the kilted reciter ceremoniously stabs the haggis and the euphoric guests look on admiringly as its “gushing entrails” are revealed. In the bard's own words, “And then O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich.”

Rich it is, and oh so delicious. And if you are one of the squeamish “oh I couldn't possibly eat bits and pieces from inside an animal” brigade, then just think of it as a sausage. A sausage with a long and glorious history. A good haggis – with a perfect ba...

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• By : Sue Lawrence
• In : Food
• Issue : 6
• Page : 38
• Words : 1,057