The Scots are a sedentary people and do not export their delicacies abroad. Therefore, few can talk about the features of Scottish national cuisine outside of Foggy Albion. However, the local culinary specialists really have something to brag about.
In fact, Scottish cuisine is very close to European and American. Starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, cereals, bread are an essential part of the diet. These carbohydrates are usually accompanied by fruits and vegetables. In addition to meat and fish, cheeses, yoghurts and dairy products in general occupy an important place in the culinary tradition of the Scottish people. A special taste is given to dishes due to the successful mixing of a few spices, vegetables and meat.
In general, if you look at the menu of an average restaurant in Edinburgh, then there will be dishes from fish, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, pork and lamb. That is, in terms of the ingredients used, the local cuisine is by no means unique and rather conservative. Scotland is a country of farmers, and therefore, since ancient times, fresh home-grown products and high-quality home-grown meat have been highly valued here. Spices are not used very actively - a few centuries ago, spices in Scotland were very expensive, and ordinary people could not afford them. In general, Scottish cuisine is rather primitive and rough, but hearty and, most importantly, based on fresh, high quality products.
However, there are also very original dishes in the local cuisine, which you will not find anywhere else. The undisputed hallmark of Scottish cuisine is Haggis - a very original dish made from the lungs, liver and heart of a sheep or calf, stuffed with oatmeal seasoned with pepper and onions. This dish was very popular throughout the UK until the 18th century, but then it fell out of favor in other parts of the island. However, Haggis is not an everyday dish - it is traditionally cooked on holidays (for example, on the birthday of the writer Robert Burns, which is a national holiday).
Another popular Scottish dish is oat cakes made from barley and oatmeal, baked in a pan and invariably served with cheese. On the east coast of Scotland, the recipe for smoked haddock fish is very popular. The city of Aberdeen is considered the meat capital of Scotland - hearty red meat dishes (usually beef) are very popular here.
However, the Scots live not only on meat and fish. On the contrary, in the UK they are considered the biggest sweet tooth. Indeed, sweets are very popular in this region. In particular, the Black Ban is widespread - a hearty fruit pie with raisins, brown sugar, currants and crushed almonds. As well as throughout Britain, a wide variety of puddings are very popular here (especially black (blood) and white (from a mixture of oatmeal, lard and onions)), as well as sweet preserves - jams, jellies and preserves. In summer, the Scots with great pleasure eat fresh fruits and berries - raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.
The result of centuries of development and complex fusion with foreign cuisines can be called traditional Scottish cuisine. National recipes in most cases are formed by the conflicting influence of the Viking cuisine, and then the French. Traditionally, Scottish cuisine cannot be called Celtic, since a large number of cuisines of the world have left their mark on it. Scottish cuisine is a multinational, with features of a kind of mixture, cuisine.
Origins of National Scottish Cuisine
The basis for the formation of Scottish cuisine was favorable climatic conditions, as well as fertile lands. Adhering to ancient agricultural customs, the Scots grow and prepare food to this day, as they did hundreds of years ago. Ancient methods of salting and smoking allow you to cook dishes as they were in ancient times. To prepare the best dishes of Scottish cuisine, the vast expanses of the country are used - the best varieties of lamb, beef and venison are grown on vast fields.
In addition, Scotland is rich in lakes and rivers, which are home to a large number of salmon and trout, and in the seas surrounding the country there are many mollusks and crustaceans. Thanks to the incredibly fertile soil, crops grow in Scotland, such as: wheat, oats and millet, as well as vegetables and berries.
Thanks to the gifts of nature and the hard work of the Scots, the national cuisine of the country is filled with recipes for smoked meats and breads, various pastries and sweet preservation. Not to mention the famous Scotch whiskey.
The beginning of the culinary traditions of Scotland is taken from cooking on a fire, with the help of a large cauldron, in which hearty meat soups were cooked, with the addition of cereals and vegetables. A variety of goulash, soups and stews exist in Scotland to this day. In every local restaurant or cafe, you will be offered beef in beer, chicken in a pot and much more.
Traditional Scottish cuisine
Numerous dishes, which it would be a sin not to remember, are prepared according to old Scottish recipes. For example, Scottish eggs, cod fillet with mustard sauce, tender salted salmon and the famous barley soup.
The Scots love soups the most. Almost everything is used for their preparation: cereals, meat and vegetables, fish. For example, the traditional Cullen Skink soup is based on smoked fish. The first place in popularity among soups is occupied by Scottish meat broth, which is based on meat and pearl barley, as well as a lot of vegetables.
An unusual but traditional Scottish dish is called Haggis. This is a local delicacy that you should pay attention to. It is a baked sheep or mutton stomach, which was previously stuffed with giblets, barley, vegetables and seasonings are added to them. Haggis is served with a side dish of potatoes, it can be mashed potatoes, as well as mashed turnip soup on a dish warmed up in advance.
An equally popular dish in Scotland is oatmeal. In addition to soups, it is very popular with the local population. It differs from ordinary porridge in its liquid consistency and traditional serving for breakfast. Over the centuries, many recipes for making oatmeal have appeared, they are passed down from generation to generation.
The Scots love desserts. They are presented mainly in pastries and sweet preservation: on the table at the Scots you can find a variety of jams, marmalade, preserves. Of the pastries, cupcakes and cookies are especially popular, which are baked in the shape of a large circle, and when it cools down, they cut it into small triangles. In addition to cookies, housewives bake muffins and buns with jam, puddings and other desserts.
4.6k (23 per week)
Scottish cuisine is a mixture of British and Celtic, so it contains not only dishes typical of peasant cuisine, but also those that the ancient highlanders ate. Scottish cuisine is based on meat, most often lamb, but veal, pork, vegetables and fish are not excluded. For cooking, baking, smoking and salting are used. Known are "full" soups, Scottish pies, in the recipes of which ale is used, soft buns with filling - scones.
Soups
The Scots have a very varied diet. They prefer rich thick stews and soups, reminiscent of our goulash. Housewives often put in them everything that is at hand - meat, fish, cereals, vegetables and greens.
Most popular soups:
- "Cocky Peaks"- chicken soup with onions and prunes;
- lentil soup with bacon;
- rice soup-puree with crab;
- pearl barley soup with lamb and vegetables;
- "cullen skink"- stew of smoked haddock.
The last soup then received several options: milk or cream was added instead of water, fresh fish was used instead of smoked fish, etc. But invariably any of these soups is served with bread.
Main dishes
In all regions of Scotland goulash is considered a traditional second course. Meat, poultry, cereals and vegetables were first stewed on an open fire for a long time. Here it is also customary to stew in ale or smoke meat (venison, beef, but more often lamb) or poultry (game or chicken). Seafood, including fish, is baked or boiled. As a side dish, hot thick cereals are prepared (various varieties of oatmeal are the most popular) and boiled vegetables (potatoes, turnips, turnips, peas, onions, carrots), which are then mixed and baked under a lid. The Scots love to bake homemade bread. .jpg)
Most popular side dishes:
- leek stewed in oil;
- "skirley"- a traditional side dish of hercules and fried onions;
- thick barley, oatmeal or lentil porridge;
- "clapshot"- boiled turnip puree and potatoes with black pepper;
- "Nipps and Tattis"- mashed potatoes and swede.
The most popular main dishes:
- "haggis"- Stuffed with giblets (heart, lungs, liver) and flavored with onions, spices and salt sheep tripe;
- chicken in a pot;
- boiled salmon in jelly;
- goose stuffed with chopped giblets;
- beef stewed in beer;
- meatballs with egg;
- fish pie with potatoes and onions;
- beef or pork goulash with ale and pickled nuts.
pies
The Scots bake a wide variety of pies, while always observing old traditions. Each pie should have a lot of juicy tasty meat. Most often, ale is used in their manufacture. Only the shape of the Scottish pie is always traditional - round, it is 10-15 cm in diameter, 5-10 cm high, and the filling is covered with a lid made of the same dough.
For pies, they usually make unsweetened shortbread or puff pastry, which is soaked in meat juice, after which it becomes juicy and its taste is rich. Most often, pies are stuffed with minced meat or cut into cubes and meat flavored with a generous portion of sauce - a kind of goulash. The filling sauce is made from light beer or, conversely, from thick ale.
Sweets and drinks
Favorite Scottish drink is hot tea, always with a lot of sweets (jams, muffins, oatmeal, pancakes, cookies, marmalades)and smoked meats. Here there is a clear difference from the English tea drinking "five-o-clock", because this "dense" tea falls on the late evening. Modern Scots began to add fruit additives or aromatic herbs to tea.
As for pastries for tea, we should definitely mention the wonderful berry pies. In addition to them, sand is served, ginger and oatmeal cookies which the Scots invented. Other delicacies may be added on holidays - muffins with raisins and almonds, pastries in the form of "scones". But especially among the Scots, a dessert called "cranahan", which is a mixture of fried oatmeal, honey, fresh berries and whipped cream.
The national spirit of Scotland is whiskey. Based on it, the Scots make a variety of liqueurs. And in many villages they still do homemade wine and brewed beer.
The attitude of the Scots to cooking is well expressed in the old proverb: "He who disrespects food is simply devoid of reason." The country, famous all over the world for its unsurpassed whiskey, can truly surprise lovers of tasteful food.
Scottish cuisine bears the imprints of the culinary traditions of many peoples who inhabited the lands of Scotland at different times - from the Celts and Vikings to the Anglo-Saxons and the French.
Scottish food ingredients
Most Scottish cuisine is based on the simple and nutritious food of local farmers and fishermen. Without a doubt, its main ingredients can be considered oats and barley, which for centuries were the main agricultural crops in Scotland. Porridges, stews are prepared from these cereals, they are actively used in fish and meat dishes, as well as for making desserts.
The basis of the meat diet of Scottish cuisine is lamb and beef, which are baked, stewed or used as a filling for pies. The apotheosis of Scottish meat cuisine, of course, is the specific dish Haggis, which mostly consists of sheep offal.
Scotland is surrounded by the sea on three sides and penetrated by an extensive network of rivers and lakes, so fish dishes are especially honored here. Salmon, trout, herring, haddock and other gifts of the seas and rivers are served smoked, baked and fried, as well as the main ingredients for soups and thick stews.
Scottish Desserts
Scotland is famous for its puddings and homemade cakes throughout the British Isles. The long established traditions of tea drinking have contributed to the emergence of many diverse and original desserts in Scottish cuisine. The various types of Scottish oatmeal cookies and gingerbread have earned particular fame.
Alcoholic beverages in Scotland
The main and most popular alcoholic drink in Scotland is without a doubt whiskey. Made from malted barley or other grains, this astringent, amber-colored drink has been produced by many private distilleries for centuries.
famous scotch whiskey brands
- Glen Grant
- The Famous Grouse
- Glenfiddich
- Bruichladdich
- glenlivet
- Cutty Sark
- ballantines
- Chivas Regal
- Johnnie Walker
- Dewars
- highland park
The most valuable and high-quality whiskey is considered to be its "single malt" varieties (Single malt Scotch whiskey), produced only from malt and water in stills of one plant. Whiskey made with the addition of other types of grain or by mixing two "single malt" varieties are called "blended" (Blended Scotch whiskey). Such budget whiskeys make up the bulk of the production of Scottish distilleries (up to 90%).
- BY THE WAY. Although Scotch is produced in many countries of Europe and the world, according to Scottish law, only drinks directly produced in this country can carry the title of real Scotch whiskey (Whisky Scotch).
Another traditional Scottish liquor is dark ale, sung in medieval ballads. This tart, "live" beer has an amazing taste, which mixes creamy tenderness, spicy hop flavor and nutty notes.
