Scottish Delicacies: to try or not to try?

Posted 3 weeks ago

There's more to Scottish cuisine than deep fried mars bars!


We all love a shortbread biscuit with a cup of tea, but how about a bit of Rumbledethumps washed down with an Irn-Bru?

Have a look at our top ten treats that hail from Bonnie Scotland - some are thought to be quite tasty!

Chicken Tikka Masala

This true UK favourite will surely persuade you to read on...You probably have it with your Indian takeaway but some say this dish was actually invented in Glasgow! We don't know if it's true - but we do know we've had some cracking curries up North!

The Lorne Sausage

We've just about got over the circular Maccies breakfast sausage, but did you know that Scotland's version is square? The iconic Scottish slice goes well with their traditional fry-up - complete with black pudding and tattie (potato) scones.

Deep Fried Butter Balls

It's not just the deep fried Mars Bar anymore. These Frozen balls of butter have a Scottish twist - irn bru batter of course! Described by many as a heart attack on a plate (we can't think why) - the deep fried pizza's can't be much better...

Rumbledethumps

Right from the Scottish borders, the main ingredients for this are potato, cabbage and onion. It can be served as a side dish or main and you might find it topped with cheese.

Cullen Skink

A thick Scottish soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. A great winter warmer!

Clapshot

You might have tried this before but not have known the name (it's probably better that way). Clapshot is potatoes mashed with swede or turnip - which does sound more appealing. It's usually served with haggis and can be otherwise called Clapshaw or Orcadian Clapshot.

Kedgeree

A mixture of fish, egg, and rice and perfect to start the day, apparently. I'm dubious...

Haggis

The country's national dish. Heart, liver or lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in a sheep's stomach and boiled. It's actually a lot nicer than it sounds, trust us!

A vegan alternative mixes beans, lentils and spices with pinhead oats.

Irn-Bru

Known for it's sugary, caffeinated goodness, but unfortunately not something you can try making at home as it seems only 3 people know the recipe! It's that good it's now in different shapes and forms - from ice cream to earrings!

Crappit Heid

This one dates back to the 18th century and was traditional among the working classes who couldn't afford more expensive fillets. It consists of the head of a large cod, stuffed with oats, suet, onion and the liver of the fish, sewn together then boiled in seawater.

We'll leave it to your imagination for this one...