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Did You Know?
Scottish cuisine revels in fine local ingredients including wild salmon, beef and soft fruit such as raspberries; cakes and puddings are a speciality, and don't forget to sample some buttery shortbread and sweet Edinburgh Rock.
What to Eat in Edinburgh
No matter what you'd like to eat you'll probably find it in cosmopolitan Edinburgh, but seek out Scottish specialities, many of which you won't find south of the border.Scottish Ingredients
Scotland has some of the best raw ingredients in the world, with land, river and sea contributing superb produce. Aberdeen Angus beef is renowned, game such as venison, grouse and pheasant is plentiful in season, and there's an abundance of the freshest of fish, shellfish and salmon, while Scotland's soft fruits have a special intensity of flavour. With such ingredients to hand, it seems ironic that the Scots diet was among Europe's unhealthiest, with the inhabitants revelling in oversalted and oversweetened dishes, and many Scots men proudly boasting they never ate vegetables. But things have changed radically in recent years and there's a renewed pride in local produce and traditional recipes.Eating through the Day
Breakfast means porridge, the classic hot oatmeal dish, properly eaten with salt, but nicer with milk and sugar. Traditionally cured kippers are another favourite, or black or fruit pudding to accompany the egg and bacon. Oatcakes, soft `morning rolls' and marmalade itself are all Scots originals. Lunch is the time for something light: a smoked-salmon sandwich, prawn salad or a bowl of good Scots soup. Scotch broth is famous, but try cock-a-leekie, made with chicken, leeks and prunes, or cullen skink, a delicate fish and potato broth. Bridies, a pastry turnover stuffed with meat and onion, mutton pies, made with crisp hot-water pastry, and stovies, potato and onion, are traditional lunchtime favourites. Tea and baking are taken very seriously in Edinburgh, and you'll find excellent teashops and bakers churning out delectable scones, cakes and biscuits. Shortbread should be high on the list, and the sweet-toothed will love `millionaires' shortbread' with its layers of soft toffee and chocolate. Dinner-time brings steaks, game and fish, plainly cooked or as the base for more sophisticated dishes. Haggis, the famous oatmeal, offal and onion dish traditionally simmered in a sheep's stomach, is delicious when properly made - a wee dram helps wash it down. Puddings are awesomely sweet; favourites include clootie dumpling, a heavy fruit pudding boiled in a cloth, Scots trifle, rich in sherry, raspberry jam and cream, or cranachan, made from toasted oatmeal folded into whipped sweetened cream and served with berries.From Whisky to Irn Bru
Tea is the liquid mainstay, with coffee gaining in popularity, and Edinburgh folk love fizzy sweet drinks, the entire nation's favourite being Irn Bru, famously `brewed in Scotland from girders'. Scots beer differs from English; heavy is the nearest equivalent to English bitter and beers are graded by the shilling, a system indicating the potency - the higher the shilling, the stronger the beer. Look out for some of the beers from Edinburgh's small local breweries, or try export or lager. Whole volumes have been written about whisky. The choice lies between blended, a careful mix of grain and malt, and single malt - with literally hundreds to choose from. Try a few, find one you like and drink it neat or with water, the best way to appreciate its subtle flavour.| COUNTRY |
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