US officials taste haggis and more Scottish cuisine ahead of Cop26 in Glasgow

A group of US officials have enjoyed a tasting menu of Scottish cuisine, including Irn Bru and haggis, ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.

The charge d’affaires at the US embassy in London Philip Reeker, shared a video on Twitter of himself and fellow representatives whetting their appetites with an array of delicacies, including square sausage and Cranachan.

“That’s not a bad soda,” said Mr Reeker as he sipped a glass of Glasgow-brewed Irn Bru.

Other delights enjoyed by the American team include cullen skink – a soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes and onions – which the testers said “looks like an omelette” but tasted “fabulous”.

Haggis was similarly well received, but when told it contains sheep’s heart, lungs and liver, Mr Reeker responded: “You probably shouldn’t sell it with that.”

Confronted with a deep-fried Mars bar, the officials seemed bemused by an apparent similarity between American and Scottish tastes, with one proclaiming: “Wait a minute… this is Scottish?”

One official felt there was room for improvement for square sausage, suggesting it could be accompanied by cheese or avocado.

The culinary adventure comes ahead of two weeks in Glasgow for the US officials and did not go unnoticed by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

“Enjoying the best of (Scotland Food and Drink) – thank you (Mr Reeker),” Ms Sturgeon tweeted.

“Wishing you a warm welcome to #COP26 in Glasgow.”