Early Burns Supper in Korea

Hello :]

It's almost Burns Day! For those of you who have no idea who Robbie Burns is, he was a famous Scottish poet and lyricist. His birthday is on the 25th January, so every year people of Scotland and some other places around the world eat a Burns Supper to commemorate him. I went to Robbie Burn's birth place last year and saw the exact bed he was born in (A little creepy!) Read about it here.
Although I am English, I have lived most of my adult life in Scotland. From the age of 18, I moved to Edinburgh to study an undergraduate degree for 4 years (2008-2012). I then stayed another year in Edinburgh to study my masters (2012-2013). I then moved to Stornoway, The Isle of Lewis for about 6 months (December 2013-July 2014). And then I moved to Aberdeen for a year (2014-2015). And now I am in Korea ^-^! Therefore I love Scotland! Go the Scottish!

On Burns day, we traditionally eat haggis. Original haggis is made using a sheep stomach and it's filled with minced offal, herbs and spices, oats and suet. However nowadays, the sheep stomach isn't needed. They have artificial packaging. It is delicious! 

Haggis is usually served with neeps and tatties. Neeps for turnips and tatties for potatoes. And sometimes with a whisky sauce, or gravy. 

Due to being in Korea, it is hard to find traditional haggis. David and I had two tins of haggis made by Grants (which is extremely good, even though it's canned!). We also found a butcher in Seoul who made it. They served their haggis at the some Scottish dinner they have every year. We bought 2kgs of haggis 35,000 won per kg. 

The haggis was okay. However it was not like real haggis at all. There were chewy bits and crunchy bits. Possibly from heart valves. There wasn't nearly enough oats or spices in it. The only thing that made it taste that bit better was the tin of haggis mixed in! It was the best we could do though. Next year, I might try make my own if I can get my hands on a few organs. 

The turnips here aren't too great either. They don't sell turnip or swede like we do back home. The best I could do was kohlrabi which is a German turnip/Cabbage Turnip mixed with carrot. 

For dessert I made cranachan with shortbread. Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert. It's so easy to make too. 

For the Cranachan:

Ingredients

Strawberries or raspberries (usually raspberries), diced

Whipping cream, whipped until the mixture holds

Oats, toasted

Whisky

Honey

Method

1. Toast the oats until they go a slightly brown colour

2. Whip the cream until it holds

3. Layer into glasses, bowls....Oats and honey, cream, fruit, cream, oats and honey, cream, fruit

4. Drizzle in some honey and top with oats

5. Just before serving, pour a shot of whisky on top

For the shortbread: 

Ingredients

180g plain flour

55g caster sugar

125g butter

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy

2. Mix in the flour

3. Roll out onto a floured surface , cut into shapes

4. Bake for 20 minutes (or until slightly golden brown) at 200 degrees Celsius

It was a decent Burns Supper, for what we had. It was spent with some friends here. American, Canadian, Mexican and South African! 

We spent the rest of the night playing drinking jenga. There were specific things you had to do for each piece you pull out. 

So Happy Birthday Robbie Burns :] 

"Some hae meat, and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat -
And sae the Lord be thankit."

Kelly