Great Chieftain o' the Pudding Race: Banned

Every year on January 25, Scots celebrate Burns Night, the putative birthday of poet Robert Burns. And how better to celebrate than with the dish the great poet immortalized in his masterwork "To a Haggis," a paeon to the "Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!"?

Sadly, again this Friday, Scottish-Americans will be left without authentic haggis with which to honor the noble poet--imports have been banned since the outbreak of mad cow in Britain. But the Scottish government is gearing up for a fight to re-legalize the heart, liver, and lungs-based treat.

"The Scottish government will consider engaging the U.S. government on its haggis import ban … It is safe or we wouldn't eat it here," said a spokeswoman. "We think there is a large market for it amongst expatriate Scots there."

Part of the campaign should feature Burns' poem, which describes what haggis could do for you:

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.

The story chronicling the decision at Yahoo! news asks the question we must all ask ourselves: "Haggis ban an offal burden?"