A Burns Night menu consists of certain traditional Scottish recipes. I’ve done all the work for you and put most of them here in one place. Lang may yer lum reek!
What is Burns Night? What is a Burns Supper?
Have you ever heard of Scotland’s National Poet: Robert Burns, also known as Rabbie Burns? He is the reason for the celebration of Burns Night on January 25th (his birthday). It’s an evening of celebration in honor of this famous Scottish writer which includes the piping in of the haggis, poetry readings, whisky drinking and a Scottish supper (dinner).
The piping in of the haggis is a central part of the evening where a piper leads the haggis into the dining room from the kitchen, to begin the recitation of “Address to a Haggis”, by Robert Burns. A Scot usually “addresses the haggis” and then plunges a knife into the haggis during the recital of the famous poem.
What is Haggis?
All this talk about haggis won’t mean anything to you if you’ve never heard of it before.Haggis is not for the faint of heart (no pun intended) as it contains sheep’s heart, liver and lungs. It’s typically prepared and then put into a sheep’s stomach, which gives it its unappealing look. However, if you’re brave enough to give it a try, I bet you’ll find (like many others have) that it’s delicious!
What are Neeps and Tatties?
During a traditional Burns Night Supper, haggis, neeps and tatties (haggis, turnips (UK)/rutabagas (US) and potatoes are served as the main course.
How Does a Burns Night Supper Begin?
Before the meal begins, Selkirk Grace (which Burns either wrote or is attributed to him) is recited:
Some hae meat, and cannae eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
but we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
My unprofessional translation:
Some have meat and cannot eat,
And some would eat that want it,
but we have meat and we can eat
So let the Lord be thanked.
What Happens After Grace?
The starter is served, then the haggis is carried in on a tray following a piper who “pipes in the haggis”. The host recites Address to a Haggis, which includes cutting into the haggis with a theatrical air, and everyone gives a toast to the haggis. The main meal is then served, followed by dessert which you can read about below.
What do you eat on Burns Night?
Typically, Cullen Skink (smoked haddock chowder) or Cock-a-Leekie (chicken, leek and rice) soup is served to start the meal. This is followed by haggis, neeps and tatties or roast beef. The dessert is most likely to be Cranachan, a raspberry, oat, cream and whisky concoction, or Typsy Laird, a boozy Scottish trifle. The meal may end with a cheese course, naturally, serving Scottish cheese.
End of the Burns Night Supper
There are other traditional parts of the evening, including a toast to the lassies and more, but at the end of the night, the event closes with everyone singing Auld Lang Syne.
What is on a Traditional Burns Night Menu?
Soup
– Cullen Skink
or
– Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Dessert for a Burns Night Menu
– Cranachan
or
– Cranachan Parfait (a twist on the traditional recipe)
– Typsy Laird
Cheese Course
– Dunlop or Scottish Cheddar served with Oatcakes
– Shortbread and Whisky
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you’d like to get a “firsthand” look at a Burns Supper, follow me on Instagram where I’ll be posting from Altadena, California at the St. Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles event on January 26th. There are still some tickets left if you’d like to go, too.
My friend Janice has an Ultimate Burns Night post which is lovely, too!
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Hey Christina!
I love the post and coming from a Scottish heritage, I love learning about the traditions! And I love your whisky glasses. Would you mind sharing where you got them from?
Thanks gain,
Lynn
Which ones? The one in the haggis pic or the one in the shortbread pic? I believe I got them all in Scotland, but you can definitely find similar ones here in the US (assuming that’s where you are?) Here are my affiliate links to THESE WHISKY GLASSESand THESE WHISKY GLASSES.
My father’s family first came to the Colonies in the 1500s. I enjoy celebrating Burn’s birthday and learning about my heritage.
That’s so cool! I think it’s so important to keep and share our heritage, Vickie! Good for you!
While I enjoy your recipes and content…there are WAY too Many adds in your site!! It’s so distracting and unpleasant, It takes away from the things you post. They pop all over the place. It just screams chaos. It’s a shame to be so bombarded. I must unsubscribe. Blessings to you.
I’m sorry Sara, but I have no pop up ads, that’s one type I can’t stand myself. I’d love nothing more than to be able to have an ad-free site, but that would be like you going to work without getting a paycheck. I have to have ads since I hardly do any sponsored content, I post what I want and what I believe in, but I cannot afford the upkeep of my site without some sort of income to help pay for it. CC
Oh dear, another year goes by and I STILL haven’t tried haggis. 😂 I really must, perhaps when I go on that whiskey tour of Islay I’ve been hoping to take one of these days… Anyhow, happy Burns Night to you!
Oh do go to Scotland! That would obviously be the best place to try haggis, too! I think you’d like it! Thank you, Frank!
We hosted a Rabbie Burns night dinner for 7 people yesterday (a week early, I know, oh well). We served 2 types of cheddar with fine-milled and coarse-milled Nairn’s oatcakes as appetizers with Innis and Gunn beer, followed by Cock-a-Leekie Soup, Haggis, neeps and tatties (following your instructions to the letter and it worked great) served with Whisky Sauce, and Typsy Laird in individual glasses for dessert. Our guests had not had any of these foods before and quite enjoyed the meal, even the haggis which they were unsure about at first. Thank you for these recipes, the clear instructions and the helpful pictures – we couldn’t have done it without you.
That sounds wonderful, Johanne! I’m so happy you actually made the haggis and your guests enjoyed it, too! Fantastic! Makes me very happy to hear this. Thank YOU for letting me know my recipes helped you with your Burns Night supper (whether it was a week early or not)! :) Wonderful! CC
We hosted a Rabbie Burns night dinner for 7 people yesterday (a week early, I know, oh well). We served 2 types of cheddar with fine-milled and coarse-milled Nairn’s oatcakes as appetizers with Innis and Gunn beer, followed by Cock-a-Leekie Soup, Haggis, neeps and tatties (following your instructions to the letter and it worked great) served with Whisky Sauce, and Typsy Laird in individual glasses for dessert. Our guests had not had any of these foods before and quite enjoyed the meal, even the haggis which they were unsure about at first. Thank you for these recipes, the clear instructions and the helpful pictures – we couldn’t have done it without you.
Love all your delicious Scottish recipe roundup for Burn’s Night, Christina. Would you believe we had the piping of the haggis – full monty – at our wedding in Edinburgh? The French family either loved it or were all wondering what on earth was going on!
Your Burn’s Night celebration in California sounds wonderful.
I would love to have seen that, the French relatives watching the haggis come in, I mean! How fun that must have been! Yes, we’ll have fun at Burns Night, I’m sure!
And thank you so much for sharing my revisited Cranachan here, Christina. You’re a “honey”! xx
You’re welcome, Jill! Love all your recipes!
Did I ever tell you that my grandfather (mom’s side) was born in Glasgow? It’s one of the reasons I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland. :-)
I’m intrigued by this menu as I don’t know much about Scottish food and had never heard of Burns night until I read about your Haggis. I always learn something here. :-)
Are you kidding me? No, I never knew that, Valentina! You absolutely must go, then! Let me know when you’re ready to book those flights! :)
This is a fabulous post. We spent a wonderful 3 weeks in Scotland and enjoyed every second of it. I loved cullen skink. Haggis was just too bland for me. I think I’d prefer an updated, modernized haggis – but that wouldn’t be very traditional. January 25th is our 37th anniversary. It would be fun to do an all-Scottish themed dinner!
Happy anniversary when it comes, Mimi! Did you try a spicy black pudding? That is my absolute LOVE when I go to Scotland! I think you’d love it, too, if you think haggis is too bland. Thanks, Mimi!
You had me with the shortbread photo – but my grandfather often used Burns prayer and when I read it I heard it in his voice. Sweet memories, without haggis! Thank you.
Awww, that’s bittersweet, Pam. I miss my grandfather immensely, too.
I think I should add a Burn’s Night celebration to my bucket list as I haven’t been to one yet. It really should be in Scotland too!
You’re close enough, Suzanne! Do it!! :)
What a fun meal. Everything looks delicious. I love how gorgeous the stacked Haggis, Neeps and Tatties looks.
I gave YOU credit on doing it like that on the haggis post! :) Thank you, Cathy!
Hi Ina, yes I can understand that, too. I had relatives in Glasgow who thought the vegetable was a turnip, which is a relative of the radish.
Though I believe the difference is now more widely recognised. A swede was created by a Swiss botanist who crossed a turnip with a cabbage.
Since thinking about this conundrum, I did a bit of research and discovered that swedes were mostly used as a winter feed, and were seen as ‘new turnips’, and the name became shortened to be known as ‘neeps’.
But a rutabaga is a swede, and not a turnip.
A turnip, being small and crisp, is tasty when cut into julienne strips and included in stir-fry vegetables.
Val (UK)
Hi Val, it is very confusing because within the UK there are even different terms for these root veg. In the US, we need to use what are called rutabagas. You can read my post about the name confusion here:
https://www.christinascucina.com/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes/
VAL,
I GREW UP IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND AND BELIEVE ME THIS VEGGIE WAS CALLED TURNIP, NEVER HEARD OF A SWEDE UNTIL I CAME TO CANADA AND THE WORD IS VERY RARELY USED HERE. I AM SURE MANY BRITISH PEOPLE BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC WILL AGREE. WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, I LOVE IT. HAPPY BURNS DAY TO ALL.
( I WROTE THIS IN CAPITALS BECAUSE I COULD HARDLY READ IT WHEN I USED SMALL CASE.)
My Dad (born in Scotland in 1936) agrees with you, Ina. It’s definitely different depending on where you are. Thanks for the info. :)
Hi Christina,
You mention in the haggis post, that rutabagas in the US is known as turnips in the UK. It is actually a swede, not a turnip. Turnips and swedes are two different vegetables, and rutabagas are swedes. Swedes can be very large, and orange-y yellow in colour, yet turnips are small, with crispy texture and white flesh…
See here:
https://www.thedibb.co.uk/postImages/57296/ffb58ac306df7f.jpg
I must admit that swedes being known in Scotland as ‘neeps’ is a very confusing term to me.
Some lovely recipes here, Christina, and I particularly love cranachan which I had when I visited Scotland. However, two hotels served cranachan in different forms – one had been whizzed, so more like a mousse texture with the added raspberries; and the other left the oats in their regular form, with texture, and I have to say the latter was the best of the two types.
Thank you again, Christina, for your wonderful recipes.
Val (UK)
I responded to your other comment, Val, but Cranachan can actually be made in different ways. All delicious, mind you! :)