My Dad weighs in on the haggis controversy:
I read the items on Haggis in the Corner. It reminds me of “scare foods” when I was a kid – like Limburger cheese, which you weren’t supposed to get close to because the smell was overwhelming. Of course it wasn’t, it’s just that Limburger was one of the few U.S.-made cheeses that resembled authentic European ones. Haggis has been one of these “scare” foods, but it’s delicious – and it’s very much in the same category as Kishke (stuffed derma). Nearly all Jews love Kishke and so they would love Haggis if they were brave enough to overcome it’s dread name. Jewish Kishke is an intestine (the derma) stuffed with beef, lung, rice, and a bunch of herbs and spices. Haggis has much the same but instead of the intestine itself it uses the lung and stomach. There is a great similarity of taste. With Haggis, there can be great ceremony as it has been elevated to a Scottish symbol. With Jews, there is no ceremony with Kishke, beyond the eating of it. Of course, we did contribute the word to the language, and all boxers know what it’s like to be hit in the kishkes.