Depending on your place of residence and contact with the Scottish culture, it is possible you have never heard about its traditional foods. Haggis might be an exception as many cultures find this dish gross because sheep’s pluck is a necessary ingredient. Yet, in the reality every tourist should give it a try as traditional Scottish haggis is a delicious dish. If you are still not convinced, check this article which will give you more information about the Scottish cuisine.
Neeps and tatties
It might not be obvious to the visitors of Scotland what exactly neeps and tatties are. The word “neeps” stands for turnips whereas “tatties” is the word used for potatoes. Actually, this is one of the most frequent additions to the dish of haggis, however, it is also served with a variety of other products. For example, mixed with chives and butter, the dish is called clapshot.
Prepare to find neeps and tatties in many restaurants with many dishes while staying in Scotland as this is a highly popular combination of products in this area.
Haggis
Well, it is time for haggis. By now, you have already learnt this is an iconic Scottish dish and sheep’s pluck is one of its major ingredients. Usually, the dish is made of lungs, liver or heart. The pluck is minced with a variety of spices, onion, suet and oatmeal. Then, an animal’s stomach lining is filled with this mixture, although you can find many versions made with artificial lining. Actually, there is nothing strange about these ingredients as they are usually used for the production of various sausages and other food based on animal products.
You certainly should check haggis as this divine dish is absolutely delicious.
Scottish salmon
In case you are visiting Scotland and you are not suffering from an allergy to fish, you should never miss an opportunity of tasting Scottish salmon. Scotland is not just a country with a developed fishing industry which means the country has access to fresh fish, but it is also the major world breeding ground for fish, especially for salmon. The standards of fish breeding in this country are supreme and Scottish salmon is regarded to be among the cleanest fish which is extremely important since seafood tends to be rather contaminated with heavy metals and other chemicals.
Scottish salmon can be purchased in any restaurant or high-end supermarket of this country. Certainly, there are many ways in which this fish is served. One of the options worth your attention is grilled salmon with the addition of herbs and soy sauce.
Scottish porridge
Porridge is a classic British breakfast dish and it is so in Scotland as well. There is nothing strange in the fact you can come across unusual gourmet versions of oatmeal in restaurants. Yet, you should be aware of the fact they are not the same as the traditional Scottish porridge.
A crucial fact about the typical Scottish version of oatmeal breakfast porridge is the fact it is made with the addition of salt rather than sugar.
A full Scottish breakfast
By the way, you can order a full Scottish breakfast in the majority of Scottish restaurants. The meal is actually pretty heavy and it will certainly energise you for the entire day and, if you are hungry at night, you can always order this option at late hours as well as it is served during an entire day.
A full Scottish breakfast is similar to the traditional English one. The major difference between them is the presence of lorne sausage, tattie scones as well as black pudding. Sometimes, you can also find white pudding which tastes a lot like black pudding with the addition of fat instead of blood as well as haggis. If you are not sure about tattie scones, you should try them with lashings of butter.