Anyone who knows me knows that, my fear of flying notwithstanding, I love to travel. I love to experience everything different countries have to offer, the sights, sounds, and tastes. I believe that a crucial part of the experience is tasting the local cuisine.

As those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know, I spent last week in Scotland. In Scotland, tasting the local fare meant trying black pudding (blood sausage), haggis (“a savory pudding containing sheep's heart, liver, and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach”), sticky toffee pudding, fish and chips, and, of course, shortbread and scones.

Of course, a trip to Scotland would not be complete without touring a whiskey distillery and trying their whiskey. I am not a whiskey drinker, but we did a tour and the tasting and tried the various whiskeys offered to me, from a three-year-old whiskey to a sixteen-year-old.  Interestingly, I learned that an alcoholic beverage cannot be called whiskey unless it spent three years in the barrel or cask.

I don’t think I’ll be eating haggis or black pudding anytime again, but I am glad I tried them both. Are you a taster? What’s the most adventurous food you have tasted?