Scotland has a different food culture than England. There is an abundance of seafood, dairy products, vegetables, etc. It also has a large scale of European immigration that brought with them different food cultures and had a major impact on the culture as well.
Scotland is mainly famous for its whiskey. For ages, it has been known for the production of whiskey. Definitely, it is more than that.
22 Most Popular Foods to Eat in Scotland
1. Haggis
Haggis tops the list as it is the most famous dish here since the 16th century. It is the national dish of Scotland. This dish is fully made of sheep. It is a pudding made from sheep’s stomach, which is stuffed with diced sheep lungs, tongue, heart, and liver. Onion powder, suet, oatmeal, and salt are added to spice it up. After stuffing the stomach with the filling, it is simmered along with these spices and served hot. There is a vegetarian version of it as well, mushroom or bean is used as a substitution of sheep meat.
2. Cranchan
It is a dessert made from raspberry. It is prepared to celebrate the summer harvest. Made with fresh raspberries, cream, honey, and Scotland’s very own Scotch whiskey. In the traditional version, crowdie cheese was used but nowadays, whipped cream is used instead.
3. Dundee Cake
As the name suggests, it originated in Dundee, Scotland. It is Scotland’s own fruit cake. Made with lots of currants, sultanas, almonds, and cheery marmalade, it is made for family gatherings or get-togethers. It is quite delicious.
4. Scottish Tablets
These are like square bars but slightly thick in size. They are made with sugar, condensed milk, and butter. To give a flavor, vanilla or whiskey is added. They are mixed together until crystallized. It is a favorite among all; it is not chewy or hard like a candy.
5. Tattie Scones
Tattie scones are made of potato. After mashing the potatoes, a large amount of butter, flour, and salt is added. It is mixed together and baked. The specialty of this dish is that milk is not added even though they are scones. Often eaten at breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage or with jam.
6. Deep fried Mars bars
Deep-fried food is a specialty of this region. People here love it. Once a royalty dessert, now it is available in every café. It tastes delicious with some coffee or tea. Mars bars are frozen fully before dipping them into the batter then covering them in cracker crumbs. It is then deeply fried, which makes it crunchier and crispier.
7. Black Bun
This is a traditional Christmas cake. A black bun resembles a pudding. Berries, raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, ginger, and cinnamon are mixed together and wrapped in a pastry and baked. It is made into a loaf shape and served and cut like a loaf as well. It is usually enjoyed during Hogmanay.
8. Scotch pie
This pie is filled with minced meat (mostly mutton), potatoes, baked beans, or gravy. This filling is stuffed in the puff pastry/pie dough and baked. These pies are often found for sale in football fields, hence the name ‘football pie’ is also associated with them.
9. Shortbread
This delicacy has been a traditional Scotland food for centuries. It is made with white sugar, butter, and flour. It comes in all shapes and sizes. Often made at Christmas and Hogmanay, it is preferred with tea.
10. Black Pudding
Made with pork blood, pork fat, beef suet, and oatmeal, this blood sausage is the oldest form of sausage. It is served as breakfast. There is a white pudding as well; the blood is substituted with fat, which gives it a slightly light shade, hence the name.
11. Scottish Porridge
It is a common dish eaten for breakfast. When fresh oats are cooked in milk, a bit of salt is added to give it a mildly salty taste, along with the sweet syrup which makes it fantastic, and it is healthy to eat as well.
12. Clootie Dumpling
Boiled cooked pudding. This unique dish was prepared by tying all the mixed ingredients in a piece of cloth, then boiled in water. The dumpling is made of pastry dough filled with a combination of dry fruits and raisins, spices like cinnamon, ginger, and dried currants. After it is baked, it is served as a dessert.
13. Bannock
A classic common bread. It is a type of flat bread prepared in a skillet. It is made from grain flour. The dough is baked and served at meals. After cutting it in small eatable shapes, it can be eaten with other veggies or meat. Sometimes it is topped with butter or honey and eaten like that.
14. Rumbledethumps
It is a full-vegetarian dish. Made from mashed potatoes, shredded cabbage, and onion, that are sautéed in butter, it is baked by adding a layer of cheese and garnished with chives or spring onion. It is similar to hash brown from England.
15. Cock-a-Leekie Soup
It is a soup prepared from chicken stock and leeks, hence the name. Vegetables like carrot, spring onion, green beans are added to the chicken stock along with rice or barley. For the fully vegetarian version, prune is used along with leeks and barley, or rice. It is a Scottish version of French chicken and onion soup where the onions are replaced by leeks.
16. Kedgeree
This is a breakfast dish that is made of fish and rice. Pre-cooked and smoked haddock fish is added to rice along with eggs and parsley. Other spices like pepper, salt, curry leaves, and chives are used to prepare this dish.
17. Stovies
The classic comfort food. The main ingredients of the dish are meat and potatoes. The meat is minced and pre-cooked then added to the diced and boiled potatoes. The spices vary throughout the country. Salt and pepper are definitely added to the rest of the spices like chives, onion powder, etc.
18. Cullen Skink
It is another version of soup. Smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions are added to the thick soup. Skink means a chunk of beef. The broth is made with milk, water, or cream depending on the variation and it is usually served with bread.
19. Arbroath Smokies
The specialty of Arbroath town is said to have originated in a small fishing village there. The haddock fish is smoked and served. The traditional method is to apply salt to the dried fish and leave them out to dry, then they are smoked over fire in a barrel and covered with wet jute sacks. The jute gives it a strong, smoky taste. This is the method which is still followed.
20. Scotch Lamb Broth
Broth and soupy dishes are quite a specialty of this region. The primary ingredients of this soupy dish are barley, lamb cuts, some radish, pulses, carrots, onion, and beans. They are simmered together so as to mix them thoroughly.
21. Munch Box
This takes the love for fried food to a whole new level. This is found in restaurants; large pizza boxes are filled with fast food such as chicken kebabs, pizza, pakoras, garlic bread, naan, onion rings, fried haggis, and chips. Tomato sauce and vegetables like onion, cucumber, and carrots are given as salad along with it.
22. Partan Bree
It is a sea food broth. The main ingredients of this soup are crabs and rice. The crabs are sautéed with spices and added to soupy rice, which is garnished with herbs and served hot with bread.
Along with these delicacies, whiskey and malt are famous in this country. Other dishes like salmon and drinks are also famous, but these are traditional and some new but unique Scotch dishes, which are a must try when in Scotland!
Read also – 15 Heavenly Brownies You Should Indulge In
