Poetry: the realm of romance, beauty and higher truths about the human condition, or a vehicle for praising a cooked sheep's stomach?
Every January 25, Scots around the world honour their most celebrated poet, Robbie Burns - born in 1759 in Ayrshire - with a meal centred on the haggis, and honour the dish with his verse.
Haggis is a savoury pudding made of sheep's offal, oatmeal, suet and spices, contained in a sheep's stomach that is boiled in water.
The Scots have a reputation for being thrifty and never has the phrase 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' rung truer. Haggis is associated with the poor, being cheap yet nutritious fare. Nothing goes to waste; it's made from bits of the animal that most people discard.
Every year, on or around the poet's birthday, Scots celebrate by holding a Burns Night supper. This is no ordinary dinner; it's an hours-long celebration.
Burns suppers were traditionally held at men's clubs, following Burns' death, after his friends held the first one as a send-off.