The foods of rural Scotland to enjoy while on holiday
For those with a trip through the Highlands planned, it would be advantageous know what will be on offer when venturing into the more rural parts of Scotland. There is a lot in Scottish cuisine that is new and even exclusive to the country, despite the sharing of lots of other cultural elements with the UK, like media and government.
The Scottish Highlands offer plenty of room for adventure, and food is a part of this. Immersing oneself in local cuisine is a must, ideally with the flexibility to roam. It’s worth finding a reputable company that specialises in motorhome hire in Scotland to enable plenty of opportunities to explore and seek out amazing places to dine – and not only that, but potentially have the chance to set up a BBQ next to the motorhome and experience the food on a different level: cooking it.
Regardless of how one intends to enjoy rural Scottish cuisine, it’s absolutely worth a try. To find out all the delectable secrets of Scottish cuisine, here are some ideas for what to order.
Cullen skink
The name doesn’t really sell it, does it? But there’s absolutely nothing stinky about it. Cullen skink is a thick, creamy soup made from smoked haddock that makes for some great comfort food with flavour. There are onions, potatoes, milk, and parsley in the concoction, and with a slice of crusty bread and a blanket on the sofa, it’s just heaven.
Deep-fried Mars bars
The deep-fried Mars bar is like Marmite: people are going to love it or hate it. Usually, the concept seems simply too gluttonous not to induce queasiness, but after a try, the savoury/neutral taste of the batter surrounding a Mars bar rapidly melting and getting gooey is simply too much not to love.
Initially invented in Stonehaven in 1992, it has recently gone semi-viral, to the point that Glasgow Central Station’s Blue Lagoon chip shop has a sign outside bragging that they served one to Justin Bieber. Make of that what you will.
Scottish tablet
It’s crumblier than fudge, it’s sweeter than caramel and it’s softer than rock. But, like a stick of rock, it’s the sweet treat visitors grab on a day trip to take home to the kids, and a perfect gift for the sugar addict of the house.
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a quintessentially British meal, but there is something special about a chippy along the Scottish coast. Imagine hiring a motorhome and driving up the Scottish coast to stop at a chippy at the edge of the island that offers fish straight from the sea and chips fresh from the garden. It’s a common occurrence. Seafood, in general, is a great selling point in Scotland, thanks to a thriving fishing industry full of salmon, mussels and more.
Chicken tikka masala
Okay, so there’s some debate as to whether the myth that the famed chicken tikka masala story is true, but try telling a Glaswegian that.
The story goes that typical Glaswegian Indian takeout was running low on servings of two of their curries – one tomato-based and one cream-based – so they simply mixed them together to get something out the door. Then again, Wikipedia goes so far as to name Ali Ahmed Aslam “proprietor of a restaurant” in Glasgow who “improvised tikka masala from a tin of tomato soup”.
Either way, this nuclear orange curry, which has no real hard or fast rule on how to make it beyond “add chicken”, goes well with a can of equally nuclear orange Irn Bru on a Friday night.
Haggis, neeps and tatties
Haggis was obviously going to be on this list. No one can wander the Highlands without spotting a mysterious wild haggis (or haggi in the plural) amongst the trees. Some say they have two legs longer than their others, making them run around in circles. It looks like an amalgamation of other animals, with fluffy, mane-like hair like a Heeland coo (Highland cow). In fact, you can see a wild haggis in the flesh in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Ok just kidding – but honestly, to describe what haggis as a food product really is, most people would just be put off. All one needs to know is that it’s ultimately mince, onion and a lot of peppery spices for what is probably the British Isles’ tastiest dish.
And neeps and tatties are delicious. Non-Scots know them as turnips and potatoes.
Haggis pakora
There’s a good Middle Eastern population in Scotland nowadays, and someone had the ingenious idea to deep fry haggis like any other piece of pakora. They haven’t looked back since. A beautiful pairing of cultures the world needs to see more of.
Full Scottish breakfast
A full Scottish breakfast is the same concept as a full English breakfast, with a few distinct differences. This is where tourists come face-to-face with black pudding, and again, this is another instance of ignorance is bliss. As long as one doesn’t ask what it’s made of, it’s easy to enjoy the sausage and its crumbly texture.
But the thing that makes a full Scottish breakfast is the square sausage. Why the rest of the island hasn’t embraced this far better, less oily form of sausage, nobody knows. Biting into a link nowadays means getting air and hopefully eventually hitting meat, but a square sausage is the food equivalent of all killer, no filler.
The editorial unit
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