Scotland's Best
The world’s biggest arts festival is currently underway in Scotland. Thousands of comedy shows, dance companies and plays are filling Scotland’s capital to bursting. For those who can’t go, it is a time to celebrate some quintessential Scottish food.
Black Pudding is a traditional regional type of blood sausage, usually made of pork or beef blood mixed in with oatmeal, oat groats or barley groats. It is often served up in a full Scottish breakfast or can be paired with roast lamb, scallops, or any dish you fancy really!
The best black pudding comes from Stornoway on Lewis and can be found be in many butchers and restaurants on the island.
Haggis is the most famous of all Scottish dishes, so it’s odd to hear some debate about it actually being a Scandinavian dish, brought over by the Vikings at some point between the 8th and 13th centuries. In support of this, the Victorian philologist, Walter Skeat, suggested that the root, hag, may have been derived from the Old Norse haggw or the Old Icelandic hoggva – both of which mean ‘to chop’. As such, the name would have meant something like ‘chopped up stuff’ and referred to the method of preparing the offal before it was stuffed into the stomach.
Scotch Pie is a traditional Scottish dish, known for its unique double-crust pastry filled with minced mutton or other meat. The pie is characterized by its round, shallow form and a distinctive hot water crust pastry, which is sturdy enough to hold its shape even when not baked in a pie tin. Historically, Scotch Pies were made with mutton, but nowadays, they can be filled with beef, lamb, or a variety of other meats, often seasoned with spices and onions to enhance the flavour.
Howtowdie wi Drappit Eggs: Although its name comes from the old French word hétoudeau, meaning "young capon," this is a classic Scottish dish of braised chicken. Traditionally, the bird is either stuffed or sided with skirlie, a mix of oatmeal and onions sautéed in fat, and seasoned with nutmeg, coriander, and ground black pepper. Howtowdie is typically served on a bed of kale, silverbeet, or creamed spinach, then topped with poached or drappit eggs, as the Scots call them.
Stovies: Known in full as stoved tatties, this Scottish one-pot dish of potatoes slowly stewed with onions, carrots and meat like mutton or beef was traditionally prepared to make use of the Sunday roast leftovers. Stovies come in two versions: the simpler barefoot or barfit stovies are made solely with potatoes and onions stewed in roast dripping, whereas the so-called high-heelers include plenty of meat. In Aberdeen, stovies are traditionally served with oatcakes and milk.
Kilmeny Kail is a traditional Scottish dish originating from the Kingdom of Fife. The dish is made with a combination of rabbit, bacon, greens (cabbage or kale), and salt. The rabbit is cleaned and cut into pieces and then simmered with bacon in a big pot for two to three hours. Once the meat is cooked, cabbage or kale are added to the pot and the dish is simmered for a few more minutes. The rabbit and bacon are removed and served separately. Some of the meat is chopped and used as a garnish for the soup that's seasoned with salt and pepper before serving.