"Great chieftain o' the puddin' race"

Although Robert Burns In 1787 immortalised haggis in his “Address to a Haggis"  the origins of the “noble” haggis can (it's said) be traced much further back. 

Back to days of yore when roaming (and hungry) hunters – not from any place nearby - would mix offal, which couldn’t be preserved, with cereal – thereby creating the first haggis. 

Or so they say

In point of fact, the first written mention of a haggis-type sausage comes from the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes in 423 BC when he refers to one exploding - must have been placed in boiling water -

Though the actual origin of the word ‘haggis’ remains a mystery, some folk say it comes from the Scots word ‘hag’ which means to chop or hew. The haggis is a type of sausage combining meat (?) with oatmeal, onions, salt and several spices. 

Moving on, whereas haggis these days, is usually served with - some form of - mashed “neeps and tatties” (that’s Scots for turnip and potatoes) often accompanied by a delicious whisky sauce. While traditionally cooked in a sheep’s stomach - a historic way of preserving meat - most haggis today is sold and cooked in a synthetic sausage-like casing. 

For those of the vegetarian persuasion, you can have your 'fill' of haggis as well (if you so desire) a vegetarian friendly haggis can be made with oatmeal, lentils, nuts, kidney beans, onions and all the assorted spices.

This I must confess, having been given the pleasure (not that I had a say in the manner) of sharing a day of birth with "Rabbie" Burns, haggis-neeps-and-tatties, swimming in a decadent whisky sauce is a birthday ritual: sometimes enjoyed - when found - on other dates, like today