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Scottish cuisine combines the culinary traditions of the Celtic and British cuisines, and along with simplicity, it can also be found in fine dishes. The main ingredient in Scottish dishes is meat: lamb, veal, pork, as well as fish and vegetables. Food in Scotland is preferred to smoke and bake. How to get involved in the national cuisine of this country and what is a must-try for a tourist in Scotland?
Haggis
Barely mentioning the cuisine of Scotland, the main national dish immediately pops up – haggis, which not everyone dares to try. Haggis is prepared from lamb’s heart, liver and lungs, chopped with onions, seasoned and boiled in a mutton stomach. The unpleasant smell of animal entrails is present only during cooking, and on your table a completely original and tasty dish will be presented, unlike anything in the world.
There is no single theory regarding the origin of the dish. One of them claims that the homeland of haggis is Lancashire in England. Another version says that haggis is a dish invented for easy transportation of food on a long journey. The third version is based on the methods of butchering animals, when the leaders were allowed to eat meat, and the workers got the tripe, from which this nutritious dish was invented.
Haggis is served with nips and tattis – a side dish of potatoes and rutabagas.
Scottish side dishes
The aforementioned neeps and tatties are baked rutabagas and potatoes that are served either mashed or stewed.
A side dish made from boiled potatoes, turnips and black pepper is called clapshot. Rumbledethumps are potatoes with onions and cabbage that are fried in a lot of oil, blended and covered with cheddar when served.
Cock-a-leekie
This Scottish soup is made according to an old recipe, and all the ingredients for it can be found in the gardens of this country. The zest of the dish is prunes, which add spice to the soup and soften the bitterness from leeks. Kokki liki is so thick that it is served for both the first and the second. The dish got its name because of the main ingredients: chicken or rooster (cock) and leek (leek).
Cullen skink
Another soup from a small village in the north of Scotland called “Cullen”. A dish is prepared from smoked haddock with the addition of water or milk, cream, potatoes, onions. First, the fish is boiled in milk, then potatoes and other ingredients are added to it.
Scotch pie
Scotland is famous for its pies, which are mostly made with meat fillings and ale. In shape, Scottish pies are round and low, always covered with a dough hat. The dough is used puff or unsweetened shortbread, which must be impregnated with meat juices and sauces.
The meat filling in Scottish pies is presented in the form of minced meat or goulash. It is such a popular dish in this country that you can enjoy pies both in small street eateries and in high-end luxury restaurants.
Scotch egg
In fact, scotch egg is a British dish, but it is common throughout Scotland. These are boiled eggs, covered with minced meat and fried in bread crumbs.
The dish is believed to have been first prepared by the London-based Fortnum & Mason Company in 1738. According to another version, the dish belongs to the cuisine of the Great Mughals “Nargisi kufta”.
Black pudding
Scottish black pudding is made from lard, cereals, blood and a special mixture of spices, in a natural casing. Pudding is served with pork, chicken, seafood and fruits (pear, apple, rhubarb). In fact, this is the familiar blood sausage, but in a different version and in the national Scottish flavor.
Black pudding has never been a poor food. He was present at the table of Henry VIII and other noble persons of that time. In the XNUMXth century, black pudding was banned by Christian theologians. Including the famous scientist Isaac Newton opposed the use of animal blood by humans.
Cranachan
Another Scottish dish that everyone who travels around this country strives to try. Cranahan is a dessert based on whipped cream and toasted oatmeal with whiskey, honey and wild berries. The first dessert recipes included whiskey, berries, and goat cheese.
Interestingly, restaurants often serve it “disassembled”, and the visitor himself can mix the ingredients in the right proportions.
Scotch Whiskey
Scotch whiskey is on everyone’s lips, and for good reason. In this country, whiskey is recognized as a national drink, and its recipe is enshrined in law. The modern name of the whiskey comes from the Gaelic “usquebaugh”, which translates as “water of life”.
Despite the variety of production secrets, storage methods, tastes, ways of serving and combinations with dishes, there are 5 recipes for this drink by law. This is a Single Malt Scotch Whiskey made from water and malted barley (malt) without the addition of any other grains. Single Grain Scotch Whiskey or grain Scotch whiskey that is used as the basis for the production of Blended Scotch Whiskey.
Blended Scotch Whiskey is a blended blended Scotch whiskey, Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey is a malt blended Scotch whiskey and Blended Grain Scotch Whiskey is a grain blended Scotch whiskey.