Scottish cuisine

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Scottish cuisine shares much with that of other parts of the British Isles but has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, thanks to foreign and local influences both ancient and modern. Traditional dishes exist alongside international foods brought by immigration and a Scottish public eager to try new dishes.

While many traditional foods such as Scotch Broth can be considered healthy, the nature of many popular dishes, rich in fats and meats, contributes to the high rates of heart disease and obesity in Scotland. In recent times greater importance has been placed on the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, but many Scots, particularly those of low incomes, continue to have extremely poor diets, a contributing factor to the high mortality rate from coronary conditions.^[1]

Despite this, Scottish cuisine is enjoying a renaissance, with nine Michelin starred restaurants operating in the country in 2006, serving traditional or fusion Scottish cuisine made with local ingredients. In most towns, Chinese and Indian take-away restaurants exist side-by-side with traditional fish and chip shops; larger towns and cities offer cuisine ranging from Thai and Japanese to Mexican.

Contents 1 History 1.1 French Influence 1.1.1 French derived cooking terms 1.2 20th and 21st centuries 2 Traditional Scottish Specialities 2.1 Soups 2.2 Seafood 2.3 Meat, Poultry and Game 2.4 Vegetables 2.5 Fruits 2.6 Dairy and Cheese 2.7 Cakes, Breads, Puddings and Confectioneries 2.8 Condiments 3 Scottish beverages 3.1 Alcoholic 3.2 Non Alcoholic 4 Fast food 5 Notes and references

[edit] History

Scotland, with its temperate climate and abundance of indigenous game species, has provided a cornucopia of food for its inhabitants for millennia. The wealth of seafood available on and off the coasts provided the earliest settlers with their sustenance. Agriculture was introduced, with primitive oats quickly becoming the staple.

In common with many mediæval European neighbours, Scotland was a feudal state for a greater part of the second millennium. This put certain restrictions on what one was allowed to hunt, therefore to eat. In the halls of the great men of the realm, one could expect venison, boar, various fowl and songbirds, expensive spices (pepper, cloves, cinnamon &c.), as well as the meats of domesticated species. From the Journeyman down to the lowest cottar, meat was an expensive commodity, and would be consumed rarely. For the lower echelons of Mediæval Scots, it was the products of their animals rather than the beasts themselves which provided nourishment. This is evident today in traditional Scots fayre, with its emphasis on dairy produce. It would appear that the average meal would consist of a pottage of herbs and roots, (and when available some meat or stock for flavouring) bread and cheese when possible.

Before Sir Walter Raleigh's introduction of the potato to the British Isles, the Scots' main sources of carbohydrate was gained from bread made from oats or barley. Wheat was generally difficult to grow because of the damp climate. Food thrift was evident from the earliest times, with excavated middens displaying little evidence of anything but the toughest bones. All parts of an animal were used.

The mobile nature of Scots society in the past required food that would not spoil quickly. It was common to carry a small bag of oatmeal that could be transformed into a basic porridge or oatcakes using a Girdle. It is theorised that Scotland's national dish, Haggis, originated in a similar way: A small amount of offal or low-quality meat, carried in the most inexpensive bag available, a sheep or pig's stomach. It has also been suggested that this dish was introduced by Norse invaders who were attempting to preserve their food during the long journey from Scandinavia.^[2]

[edit] French Influence

During the Late Middle Ages, and the Early Modern Period, the cuisine of France started to play a role in Scottish cookery due to the cultural exchanges brought by the "Auld Alliance"^[3]. and especially during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, on her return to Scotland brought an entourage of French staff who are considered responsible for revolutionising Scots cooking and for some of Scotland's unique food terminology. This influence continued until the downfall of Jacobitism and the defeat at Culloden, when Scotland came into the cultural sphere of England, and the faculties of continental gastronomy were out of bounds.

[edit] French derived cooking terms

"Ashet", Assiette-a large platter

"Cannel", Cannelle-Cinnamon

"Collop", from Escalope

"Gigot" (IPA:ˡdʒɪɡət) of Mutton - Gigot

"Howtowdie", Hétoudeau-a boiling fowl (Old French)

With the advent of the Sporting estate and enclosure in the eighteenth century, harvesting Scotland's larder became an industry. The railways further expanded the scope of the market, with Scots' Grouse at a premium (as today), on English Metropolitan menus shortly after the 12th of August.

[edit] 20th and 21st centuries

Scotland, in common with the other parts of the British Isles suffered during the twentieth century. Rationing during the conflicts that affected that period, and large scale industrial agriculture limited the diversity of food available to the public. During the latter part of the century, the greater part of our 'quality' produce was exported, and inferior imported. The fruits of Scotland's seas gracing European restaurants, whilst children in Glasgow were eating processed American Fish fingers and other processed foods ^[4] Scotland suffered under the UK wide BSE and Foot and Mouth legislation, when it was hardly affected. One result of this however, is that Scots' meat is now considered one of the safest on the planet as a result of the stringent controls in place ^{[5][6] [7]}

Recently there seems to be a resurgence in traditional restaurants, gastro-pubs are abounding, and farmer's markets increasing their scope, not to mention the influence New Scots have had on the national palate.

During the 19/20th c. there was large scale immigration to Scotland from Italy, and later from the Middle East, Pakistan and India. These cultures have impacted on Scots cooking in a massive way. The Italians reintroduced the standard of fresh produce, and the later comers introduced spice. An urban myth maybe, but it is alleged that the Chicken Tikka Massala curry was invented in Glasgow.

[edit] Traditional Scottish Specialities

[edit] Soups

Cullen Skink

Bawd bree

Cock-a-leekie soup

Game soup

Hairst Bree orHotch potch

Partan bree

Scotch broth

[edit] Seafood

Arbroath smokies

Cabbie claw (Cabelew)

Crappit heid

Eyemouth pales

Finnan haddie

Rollmops

Smoked salmon

[edit] Meat, Poultry and Game

Ayrshire bacon

Black pudding

Forfar Bridie

Haggis

Howtowdie with Drappit eggs

Collops

Mince and tatties

Mutton ham

Potted Hough

Roast Aberdeen Angus beef

Roast Haunch of Venison

RoastGrouse

Roast Woodcock/Snipe

Solan goose

Scotch pie

Scotch egg

Skirlie

Square sausage

Stovies

[edit] Vegetables

Clapshot

Rumbledethumps

Tattie scones

[edit] Fruits

Raspberries

Slaes

Blaeberries

[edit] Dairy and Cheese

Bishop Kennedy

Carola

Criffel

Crowdie

Ayrshire Dunlop

Isle of Mull Cheddar

Lanark Blue

Loch Arthur

[edit] Cakes, Breads, Puddings and Confectioneries

Abernethy biscuits

Berwick cockles

Black bun

Blaeberry pie

Carrageen Moss

Clootie Dumpling

Cranachan

Dundee cake

Edinburgh rock

Hawick balls

Moffat toffee

Petticoat tails

Selkirk Bannock

Shortbread

Soor plooms

Tablet

[edit] Condiments

Rowan jelly

Spiced plums

[edit] Scottish beverages

[edit] Alcoholic

90 shilling ale

80 shilling ale

70 shilling ale

India Pale ale

(see- Scottish beer)

Atholl Brose

Drambuie

Ginger wine

Het pint

Heather ale

Whisky

[edit] Non Alcoholic

Irn Bru

Red Kola

[edit] Fast food

Scotland's unhealthy reputation is partially a product of the wide consumption of fast food. Fish and chip shops remain extremely popular; they have been joined in more recent years by outlets selling kebabs and pakora. Most dishes are deep-fried.

[edit] Notes and references