Emma left a comment on yesterday's post about the wonderful food that comes from Scotland. I wholeheartedly agree. When people think of Scottish food, they tend to think firstly of porridge, which I wrote about yesterday, and haggis. That's fair enough - it's traditionally served on Burns Night in January with 'bashed neeps and champit tatties' (translation: mashed potatoes and turnips) and, if done in proper style, is brought in on a large serving dish while someone recites the address or ode to a Haggis ("great chieftain o' the puddin-race"), followed by Scottish country dancing. A grand evening, though I can only manage a small amount of haggis before I remember what's in it.
Going beyond that, some might think of deep-fried Mars bars. I've never actually seen this in a chip shop, but then I haven't been in a chippie in Scotland for many years. (In Scottish chippies, you're not asked if you want salt and vinegar, but salt'n'sauce, a thin, brown concoction like a watered-down HP sauce.) And of course, poor health in Scotland is rife, the result of too much salt and jammy pieces.
A few years ago, I spotted in a supermarket in England a pack of four Scottish meat pies, and pounced on them immediately, having fond memories of eating these as a child. They're round, with a crisp, raised rim around the top, and filled with minced lamb. As soon as I bit into it, I was flooded with liquid grease, and I suddenly remembered why I stopped eating them.
But Scottish cuisine at its best is delicious, and there's lots of it. Enough for a whole other post, in fact. Come back tomorrow, to find out what's on the menu...
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2 comments:
Scotch pies! Tatties and neeps! Brilliant!
sounds as though you may have been turned off by your last Scottish Meat Pie experience, but for what it's worth, check out www.mackimmies.com. You can purchase the empty shells and fill to your liking.
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