Haggis Update: Sorry, Folks, The Real Stuff's Still Illegal

LA Weekly Flickr pool/My Last Bite

cans of haggis at Buchanan Arms

Despite many reports that haggis will soon be allowed into the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says not so fast. When the BBC thought to verify the rumors that the Scottish delicacy would finally be imported (haggis has been banned since the mad cow scare of 1989), they were told that such reports were "incorrect." Haggis is made from the inner workings of a sheep, mixed with oatmeal and suet and spices, and then cooked in the sheep's stomach. The USDA bans food made with lungs, among other things.

So until the USDA does in fact lift the ban--how strong is the Scottish lobby, exactly--we'll have to continue to make do with the haggis we've got. If the stuff out of a can doesn't appeal, you can always trek down to The Gorbals for a few of Ilan Hall's housemade haggis meatballs.