When British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to Republican members of Congress on Thursday and President Trump on Friday, she must demand an immediate policy change before entering any kind of trade negotiations: an end to the 45-year United States ban on haggis imports from Scotland.
That’s right, haggis.
The extremely-underrated Scottish cuisine made of a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, usually combined with oatmeal and various spices. Traditionally, all that is encased in the lamb’s stomach, but modern Scots often use an artificial sausage casing.
It’s unusual, but it’s delicious. What can I say? I’m adventurous with my meats.
In 2011, I studied abroad in London. One weekend, my American friends and I took a weekend trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland. After arriving at a pub, I spotted haggis on the menu. What other chance would I have to eat this legendary fare in such an authentic setting? I ordered it with skepticism, but the meal was one of the most satisfying of my few months abroad.
A while after I left the United Kingdom, I wondered where haggis could be found in the U.S. Surely, I thought, there must be a pub that caters to haggis enthusiasts or people looking to celebrate their Scottish heritage. Nothing turned up.
Instead, I discovered the grave injustice that is the haggis import ban.
Since 1971, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has had a rule on the books for imported food that “livestock lungs shall not be saved for use as human food.” Making matters worse, during the U.K. mad-cow outbreak of 1989, the department banned British lamb and beef imports altogether.
U.K. exporters are set to resume beef and lamb sales to the U.S. sometime this year, but the haggis import ban remains.
Thankfully, Trump, who is half Scottish, seems to be on the right side of history on this issue. “Consider it done,” he reportedly told a hotelier who asked if he’d change the rules to let haggis fly freely from the U.K. to the U.S. When Americans en masse realize how delicious haggis is, maybe it’ll even inspire more tourism to Scotland and lead people to Trump’s Scottish golf course.
Despite his general aversion to free trade, surely Trump’s Scottish ancestors have told him the delicious cuisine just isn’t the same when it’s made outside their homeland.
Yet, for reasons unexplained, ending the ban has not been included in the flurry of executive actions he’s taken in his first week in office. Before she even sits down with Trump, May should not-so-gently remind him of his heritage and his promise. Ending the ban would be great for the bleating Scottish economy and great for American stomachs.
If Trump truly wants to Make America Great Again, he needs to reset our policy on haggis to 1970. For too long, other countries have been laughing at us while they dine on delectable innards of cloven-footed barnyard creatures while we miss out.
If haggis is healthy enough for Scotland, it’s healthy enough for us. The injustice has gone on too long.
Jason Russell is the contributors editor for the Washington Examiner.
