Haggis set to be Spring's biggest food trend

2016's favourite foods may have included pizza, sushi and avacado but this spring traditional Scottish favourite haggis could be set to eclipse them as one of the nation's most popular foods.

Published 16th Mar 2017
Updated 9 th Aug 2023

According to new search data, the popularity of Scotland's national dish has risen by nearly 300 per cent.

Research carried out on Google search volumes by tastecard, the UK’s largest dining club, to determine the food trends set to take 2017 by storm returned some surprising results.

The research has shown that searches for haggis in the first few months of 2017 had increased threefold compared to the same time last year.

Alongside haggis, other foodstuffs such as frittatas and burritos have also shown a marked growth in popularity with internet users.

Despite this new found interest in Scottish and Mexican fayre, the data shows that Brits’ restaurant choices compared to 2016 aren’t set to change drastically, with Italian and Chinese cuisines still remaining firm favourites with those looking to dine out.

The top five restaurant choices for 2017 are perhaps unsurprisingly:

  1. Italian
  2. Thai
  3. Chinese
  4. Indian
  5. Mexican

Some unexpected cuisines have also began to climb in popularity with Greek and Vietnamese showing huge growths in interest and a surprise surge for Mayan cuisine which is proving a new favourite with internet audiences.

All across the UK, Brits have been trying out their own homemade versions of supermarket products with a huge rise in searches for recipes for items such as tomato ketchup (600%), tartare sauce (350%) and Nutella (110%) recipes.

Ash Moore, general manager at The Rosehip Restaurant & Bar in Edinburgh, explains how adventurous eaters can give haggis a lighter taste this spring, he said: “Being in the heart of Edinburgh's busy tourist centre means haggis is a vital component in our menu, however we try to come up with different ideas to showcase this Scottish staple, in as many new and interesting ways as possible.

“One dish which is always popular is a Haggis Bon-Bon; smaller and lighter in both flavour and texture, this dish can be used as an appetiser or as part of a larger dish to add texture and that unique flavour.

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"Another way we use haggis is as a Haggis Rarebit, which incorporates liberal amounts of haggis, mustard, beer (or a nip of whisky!) and a strong cheese, melted and poured over thickly sliced Sourdough bread.

“A warm salad of haggis, scallops and bacon is very well received over the spring and summer months; it’s a hugely versatile food which we love!”

Matt Turner, Founder and CEO of tastecard, said: “Avocado certainly dominated the market throughout 2016, but to see haggis grow in popularity is very interesting. It seems we are looking for something different this year, and we are willing to try foods that are sometimes very ‘love or hate’."

 

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