It Burns Me Up!

Today is Robbie Burns Day and since I wrote about it and Auld Lang Syne last year, I won't go into great detail.

Since I've been teaching recipes all week to my students, I'll attempt a haggis recipe in Japanese! (UPDATE: I've cleaned up my crappy Japanese {my Crapanese}with the help of a friend!)






Recipe for Haggis: ハッギスのレシピ

Ingredients: 材料

Sheep's stomach bag, liver (100 g), heart and lungs　 羊の胃袋、肝臓(１００グラム)、心臓と肺
2 onions　タマネギ(２個)
Beef suet (50g)　牛脂(５０グラム)
Salt and black pepper　塩、黒こしょう
Toasted oatmeal (75g)　焼いたオートミール(７５グラム)
Gravy from liver (250ml)　 肝臓のグレービー(２５０ミリリットル)

Method:　作り方

1. 羊の胃袋を十分に洗う。最初、冷たい水、次に暖かい水で洗う。
2. 前夜から、ポットに冷たい塩漬けにした水に浸す。もう一回、洗う。2時間沸く、気管はポットの横を排水する。５００ミリリﾂトルのストックを作ってあく。
3. 気管を切放す、余分な脂肪を取り去る。心臓と肺を叩き切るまたは小さく刻む、最もよい部分(半分ぐらい)の肝臓をおろす。
4. タマネギを湯通し、切る、オートミール、脂、塩、こしょう、ストック一緒に混ぜそのまましばらく置く。
5. 混合物は胃袋の中にいれる、ぶくらむまで待つ。３時間煮る、一面に小穴を規則的にあける。


When ready to serve, the cook, accompanied by a bagpiper, presents the Haggis to the host. The host should then recite, "Address to a Haggis".

Dig in and have plenty of whiskey to help keep it down!

ハッピーロッビーバーンズデー！

Speaking of poetry, today is Robbie Burns' Day, so everyone raise a pint to the lassies or the laddies, drink to their health and eat some haggis!

Here's a poem for you to recite before you chow down on your sheep innards.

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

(hae = have; canna = cannot; sae = say; thankit = thanked)

Robert Burns of course wrote Auld Lang Syne and the first verse of that tune goes like this:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

(Auld = old)

The Japanese have adopted that tune and used it for a song about fireflies, 蛍の光.Hotaru no Hikari

hotaru no hikari, mado no yuki. Light of fireflies, snow by the window,
fumi yomu tsukihi, kasane tsutsu. Many suns and moons spent reading
itsushika toshi mo, sugi no towo. Years have gone by without notice
aketezo kesa ha, wakare yuku. Day has dawned; this morning, we part.


Rather than being sung on New Year's Eve though, this tune is mostly associated with graduation ceremonies. According to folklore, students used the light of fireflies and the reflection of moonlight on snow as light sources when they wanted to study at night. Therefore, the first verse is used to indicate the diligence of the graduating students. (Not my students though!)













These days, one can hear an instrumental version of this song blaring out over loud speakers as a Supermarket, Pachinko or Game Center is closing. Once that tune begins, wrap up your shopping, plink your last ball or finish taking your Print Club (プリクラ), because you're going to be kicked out in a few minutes!