Budget versus brand: haggis taste test
We pitted Aldi and Lidl's haggis against a high-end version. Who won?
It's Burns Night on Sunday, so Lovefood decided that for our latest taste test, we would try some haggis.
Intrigued by the ultra-cheap haggis on offer from discounters Lidl and Aldi, we decided to pit them against one from traditional haggis specialists MacSween, available in many supermarkets.
As ever, the taste test was conducted blind. So who won this food version of the Highland Games?
Who won?
It may come as a shock for you to learn that MacSween came in third, despite winning three stars at the Great Taste Awards in 2013. Our tasters said that it “wasn’t meaty enough”, and that they weren’t sure about an odd aftertaste. The only Scottish person who tasted the MacSween’s haggis said he thought it tasted cheap – though at £9.99 for a 907g haggis, it was easily the most expensive of the lot.
Rated 5.6/10
Lidl came second with its haggis from McKechnie Jess, praised for its “strong, lovely lamb flavour”. However, it also drew criticism for being “a bit stodgy”, while another taster said that it didn’t have a lot going on in the way of seasoning. Overall, it was quite similar to the Aldi version, but not quite as good. And a 454g haggis is available for only 99p, so it’s a good pick if you’re unsure whether you’ll like haggis in general.
Rated 5.9/10
In first place was the Macaulay’s haggis from Aldi, leading the pack with a good texture, meaty flavour and “nice and warm spice blend” that “stays with you for a while”. Good for cold weather, though a couple of people said the seasoning was a little too much, preferring the more restrained MacSween haggis more. This one is £1.29 for 454g.
Rated 6.8/10
Liver and lights
Here’s something interesting. Both of the haggis from Lidl and Aldi are made with liver, giving them a much more robust flavour, and making them much heavier on the palate. However, the MacSween haggis doesn’t contain liver, and has a much lighter texture, but with a much less meaty flavour as a result.
But while purists may baulk at our findings, many haggis are made with liver, and it's very much a matter of personal preference. Our testers preferred a bit more meat.
Deep fry it!
Our Scottish colleague also insisted that deep-fried haggis was a wonderful thing, particularly served with chips after a few drinks at the pub. Without trying it, I can't comment on taste, but I wondered if any of our readers are a fan and could confirm its apparent glory.
Which type of haggis is your favourite? Should it ever be deep fried? Let us know in the Comments below.
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