# Scotland's Haggis Surrenders - Norway wins disgusting food crown **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941 "2005-11-20T16:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/1 "2005-11-20T16:27:05Z")
Link via Fark [It must be autumn: Norway feasts on sheep’s head](http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=257043) > [@](#): > > The best part are the eyes. These are the most-used muscles and therefore they taste best," said Ivar Loene, who runs Norway’s only “smalahove” factory, where patrons can also savour the traditional dish in the intimate setting of a wooden chalet. > > To help his guests overcome any squeamishness, the stout 64-year-old host leads by example. He plunges his knife into a sheep’s eye socket, takes out the eye, cuts it in half, discards the pupil and pops the remainder in his mouth. “It just melts on > the tongue,” he says with a smile bordering on the ecstatic. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/2 "2005-11-20T16:34:22Z")
I think I know what we’re having for Thanksgiving this year! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/3 "2005-11-20T17:07:59Z")
He discards the eye’s _pupil_? Sounds pretty easy to do, since the pupil is just a hole in the iris. that comment makes the reporting a bit suspect. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/4 "2005-11-20T17:23:37Z")
Eyes? Pshaw. That’s child’s play. You can even find _Tacos de ojos_ in the transplanted Maxwell Street Market here in Chicago. To be honest, for this adventurous eater, it’s no more disgusting than brain or tripe. But you’re close. The repulsive food crown belongs to a Scandinavian country, although you’re one off: try Sweden for [surstromming](http://www.escapeartist.com/efam32/swedish.html). Let me just say, I’ve had it, I eat lots of disgusting thing, and nothing comes close to the level of repulsion this substance produces. Rotten…_cough_…I mean “femented” herring is the foulest smelling substance known to man. And no, despite what people say, it does not taste better than it smells. And don’t even try comparing it to _lutefisk_, because it’s not even in the same league. Nowhere close. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/5 "2005-11-20T17:27:26Z")
> [@](#): > > I think I know what we’re having for Thanksgiving this year! Me too! Though I’m still having trouble fava beans and nice chianti. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/6 "2005-11-20T17:44:17Z")
Eyes are muscles? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/7 "2005-11-20T17:50:05Z")
Eyes have muscles. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to move your eyes without moving your head. Whether they’re tasty eye muscles or not I don’t know. I imagine they could taste just as nice as any other muscle group. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/8 "2005-11-20T17:52:09Z")
Sheep’s heads are not disgusting, nor are they excusively Norwegian. I’ve seen them eaten in the townships here, barbequed, for example. The smoking is just a different cooking technique, is all. Except for the actual eyeball, there’s nothing there you couldn’t get in a butcher’s ( tongue, muscles). I mean, they discard the brain, for pity’s sake. Scandanavia alone has more disgusting foods (usually involving fermented herring, for some reason, as people have pointed out), never mind the rest of the world … Look, don’t make me come over there with the Sardinian[leaping-maggot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piophilidae)[cheese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casu_marzu) ! **Qadgop** , I wonder if that’s just a translation glitch for iris. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/9 "2005-11-20T17:54:55Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Eyes have muscles. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to move your eyes without moving your head. I know eyes _have_ muscles, but reading the article I was envisioning it being just the separated eyeball. I’m probably wrong about that. Wouldn’t be the first time! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/10 "2005-11-20T17:56:04Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > **Qadgop** , I wonder if that’s just a translation glitch for iris. Or lens. Are the lenses in our eyes rigid or soft? If they’re rigid then I can understand discarding it before eating. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/11 "2005-11-20T17:59:01Z")
Haggis is disgusting now? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/12 "2005-11-20T18:22:59Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Sheep’s heads are not disgusting, nor are they excusively Norwegian. Actually, the Mexican markets–and perhaps the Arabic and/or Indian ones, too–here in Chicago often have sheep’s heads on sale. ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/13 "2005-11-20T18:26:04Z")
Fermented herring can’t be much worse than hakarl. Which, I freely admit, I’ve never tried, only read about. [http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm](http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm) > [@](#): > > ``` > Traditional method: > > ``` > > Take one large shark, gut and discard the innards, the cartilage and the head. Cut flesh into large pieces.Wash in running water to get all slime and blood off. Dig a large hole in coarse gravel, preferably down by the sea and far from the nearest inhabited house - this is to make sure the smell doesn’t bother anybody. Put in the shark pieces, and press them well together. It’s best to do this when the weather is fairly warm (but not hot), as it hastens the curing process. Cover with more gravel and put heavy rocks on top to press down. Leave for 6-7 weeks (in summer) to 2-3 months (in winter). During this time, fluid will drain from the shark flesh, and putrefication will set in. > > When the shark is soft and smells like ammonia, remove from the gravel, wash, and hang in a drying shack. This is a shack or shed with plenty of holes to let the wind in, but enough shade to prevent the sun from shining directly on the shark. Let it hang until it is firm and fairly dry: 2-4 months. Warm, windy and dry weather will hasten the process, while cold, damp and still weather will delay it. > > Slice off the brown crust, cut the whitish flesh into small pieces and serve… Being Icelandic, it’s got that Norweigan connection, so I think they’re still well ahead in the gross food department. And yes, haggis is disgusting now. And forever. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/14 "2005-11-20T18:30:40Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > Haggis is disgusting now? 😕 Haggis has always been disgusting. Taking all the internal organs of a sheep, mixing them with oatmeal, stuffing the mixture in the stomach and boiling the hell out of it does not equal good eating. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/15 "2005-11-20T18:36:09Z")
Just wanted to say that haggis is a LOT better than everyone makes it out to be. The consistency is a bit surprising at first, but it’s actually really good. Maybe sheep eyes are the same way. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/16 "2005-11-20T18:38:28Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > Haggis is disgusting now? 😕 Most Americans cannot get past the description. My wife wants to try them next time we visit Scotland. Jim ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/17 "2005-11-20T18:38:46Z")
It’s a pudding for Og’s sake! A sausage! These dishes were invented to make the less appetising bits palatable. Haggis is much tastier than American hot dogs, even is they are made from the same cuts of meat and similar filler. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/18 "2005-11-20T20:13:10Z")
> [@Bren\_Cameron](#): > > Fermented herring can’t be much worse than hakarl. Which, I freely admit, I’ve never tried, only read about. > > [http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm](http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm) > > Being Icelandic, it’s got that Norweigan connection, so I think they’re still well ahead in the gross food department. > > And yes, haggis is disgusting now. And forever. I’d be willing to give hakarl a shot. I can’t believe it’s worse than surstromming. If anything, at least it’s dry which, I would assume, would cut down on the got awful smell and taste, although I can be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/19 "2005-11-20T20:16:47Z")
To be specific, Haggis is the heart, lungs, and liver of the sheep (although other parts may be added) boiled with oatmeal and whatever other stuffing, in the sheep’s stomach (although nowadays, most mass-produced haggis is boiled in a synthetic but edible bag). It generally looks like minced meat (not the mince pie kind, the cottage/shepherds pie kind) with grainy white parts in. And I think it’s nice - not fantastic, but it’s nice. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941/20 "2005-11-20T20:19:47Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > It’s a pudding for Og’s sake! A sausage! These dishes were invented to make the less appetising bits palatable. > > Haggis is much tastier than American hot dogs, even is they are made from the same cuts of meat and similar filler. Having had haggis in Scotland, I must say, it’s quite inoffensive. It helps if you’re not squeamish about eating organ meat. I mean, lookie here. I’ve got a package of Scott Petersen hot links sitting in the fridge. How’s this for a list of ingredients: Mechanically separated chicken Beef salivary glands, Lymph Nodes and Fat (cheek and tongue) Water Pork Beef etc… There’s more salivary glands and lymph nodes in this sausage than there is pork or beef! I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say haggis is tastier than American hot dogs – I do like my natural casing hot dogs quite a lot, and I don’t recall really going out of my way to get haggis again in Scotland, but it was certainly tasty enough. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotlands-haggis-surrenders-norway-wins-disgusting-food-crown/331941.md?page=2)