To eat or not to eat… good question

What for breakfast?

It is certain that on your travels you will try breakfast. The rest – nobody knows, because visiting Scotland can prevent you from eating.

You know that an English breakfast is very satisfying. But a Scottish one will make you walk to the Moon. Each time you promise yourself, that you won’t eat everything, and then you finish with a clean plate. The thing that greets you is an artistry of taste. You have fried tomatoes with a hint of a salad or some fried mushrooms. A golden hash brown. Eggs prepared as you like – scrambled or fried. Sausages and crispy bacon that turn your mouth to water. And a strange round thing that looks like polish “kaszanka” – this is black pudding (version black or white, sometimes you can get both). Don’t forget about French toast with butter and some healthy fibers – beans in tomato sauce.

Essentially, we get just a bite of everything, but there is so much… I suggest trying it in different places – the variations are worth exploring.

Another breakfast option are Benedict Eggs. My only problem with them is the hollandaise sauce. Do not get me wrong – a mix of mayonnaise, citron and spices is very tasty – only the quantity is too big. Fortunately, you can easily push it off and leave only the amount that you like.

You normally get two halves of a muffin with a goodness on top of it. Some vegetables, poached egg, bacon or smoked salmon. It is easy, yet wonderful. Comes with all the variations of the cook’s imagination. But for sure – your tummy will be delighted.

Apparently, the dish was invented on Manhattan, so there is not much of a connection with Edinburgh. Well… maybe only the fact that a lot of Scots had to emigrate to US. Maybe somebody came back with a recipe.

Porrige

Louis XIV, king of France, loved to eat. After his death it was discovered that his stomach was twice the normal size (the intestines were longer as well). Was it he who suffered of constipation, or was it some other king that we saw in Outlander series – we won’t know. But we are certain today, that French kings were advised to eat porridge, as a mean to fight the illness.

What is the connection with Scotland? Only that it is an everyday breakfast dish in here. Historically speaking, among other meals it was eaten by poor people. But as groats were forgotten in Poland (and are now returning as BIO food), nothing similar happened in Scotland. Porridge was eaten, is eaten and will be eaten. Bravo Scots!

Bacon Butty

Maybe it is not very fancy or posh, but it is something Scottish and homemade. You have two main tastes there – fluffy Scottish bun and a lot of delicious, crispy bacon.
Nothing else, no unnecessary things added.

Bacon Butty can be found in good bakeries, especially in the morning (but I didn’t see many). It is typical for a quick breakfast and I was lucky enough to have it, brought by a friend, on a morning shift.
Simple things also have their charm, so if you find this – try.

Haggis and black pudding

Let’s start with this, that those two products are completely different. I state this mainly, because I want to return to Scotland one day. But being from Poland I really need to say this – they are like polish “kaszanka”.

Of course, kaszanka comes in many different forms, and so happens here, in Edinburgh. It depends what is inside, proportions, spices… So, let us distinguish those two products:

Haggis is a pudding of animal’s pluck, meat (sometimes), oats and spices. It is put into a sheep’s stomach and boiled. It is more dry than kaszanka, there is less fat inside as well. Supermarket product is very good prepared in polish way – with onions from a frying pan. But it defies original – true haggis should be boiled.

The most traditional way to eat it is called Haggis, Neeps and Tatties – which gives you haggis in a company of mashed turnip and mashed potatoes (nowadays wit a whisky sauce as well). You can get horizontal or vertical version and there is nothing more Scottish. It remains as popular as before our times.

In the past the Scots were making fun of tourist coming to hunt for the haggis. Somebody told somewhere that it is an animal from Highlands that looks like a groundhog and who doesn’t like going down the hill because of short front legs. I can see your faces right now… If you want to see this haggis, and it is not a joke, you need to go to National Museum of Scotland.

If not this meal, and you want to try more of a street version – try baked potatoes with haggis. Royal Mile has those bars. You will get a big potato there, with butter and a mountain of haggis on top of it. Mhmmmm

Those who think that haggis can be bloody – do not read further. But a true kaszanka is mixed with blood so maybe black pudding has more similarities with this polish product. A curious thing is that it comes in white and black color. The usual “sausage” is cut into thick roundels, fried and served for breakfast. The taste is very similar to kaszanka, although there is much less of oatmeal inside.

I do realize that people who do not like this kind of a meal can read it, but I do recommend a try of both. Even the frogs in France were the food of poor people and look how expensive and popular they are now! Who knows what can run from under your nose…

But remember!

You always catch haggis running down the hill (old joke – in the past tourists were told, that it was an animal)!!!

Scotch Broth and other soups

Scotch broth is another dish from the poor times – times when each meal was supposed to last for a day, and heat in winter. Maybe broth is not suitable today, because it is more of a goulash soup. It is still very popular all over Scotland.

The easiest way to describe it – it is a mixture of seasonal vegetables, meat, thickened with barley, lentils or whatever was at hand. Of course, different variations are possible – it is made of seasonal veggies. You can change the meat as well. Use the broth from your meat, chicken or plain – vegetable stock. All is cut into small pieces that would fit on a spoon and you can add some bread to it. Possibilities are limitless.

One thing you can be sure of – a bow of scotch broth will give you all the strength a tourist needs (and it will heat you when cold winds come to Edinburgh).

Cullen skink sounds like a bad joke or at least something not good. It cannot be further from the truth. This special type of a fish soup is made of leek, potato and, the most important, Scottish smoked haddock. It is a delicious composition of tastes.

Much poorer version of the above is the Potato Leek Soup (all the main ingredients in the title). Nothing complicated – cream soup. But believe me my dear reader – vegetables, herbs and pepper mixed in this way are one of a kind. It is one of the easiest soups that you can prepare at home and remind yourself of Scotland.

Smokies and fish & chips

Remember that Edinburgh is a port-city. Nd all Scotland can be proud of their fish and seafood, prepared in different ways – in soup, for the main dish and smoked.

Except the fresh thing, the easiest one to find is a smoked product. Scottish salmon Is delicious. You also need to try Arbroath Smokies if you manage to find them outside Arbroath. The best shops are in Leith – obvious, the port is there.

As for the fast-food – the fish & chips are in its prime there. Here in Scotland prepared from the most favorite haddock. You can get it all around Edinburgh, but they say that the best ones are in Leith and Portobello.

Pies and Shortcrust Rolls

You can get the quick bites all over the town. If you do not have time for breakfast in Edinburgh and you run to your work – Gregg’s or some other bistro comes to the rescue. We go inside, we buy something quick, cold or warm and we have energy until lunch. And then again…

Scottish pie is made from short crust dough with meat filling inside. The most typical is with angus beef of course. It is so popular that you can buy the home version in every shop. Then 15 minutes and heaven in your belly. It is always better to try the butcher’s version – the only problem is to find them.

Shortcrust rolls are seldomly made from French dough. And they are filled with all the goodness in the world. They come in different shapes that often tells you whether it is a sausage, pork, curry etc. inside.
Farmer’s Market is a good place to look for a really good roll. It can be called fast-food but there is plenty of good stuff inside. Once, on the market under the castle, I found them. Then I bought veggies and something extra every week. You cannot pass it unnoticed.

Deep fried Mars Bar

I have goosebumps only thinking that I should write about this as well. Because maybe somebody will dare to try it. This sugar bomb was bought by me once, but it turned out to be too… TOO everything.

Imagine mars bar, put into cream pastry and deep fried. I do understand the idea of deep fried Scottish yummies, really! But salty, not sweet!

Back to the subject – Deep Fried Mars Bar – only for the bravest of us! To find it go to Grassmarket or Candlemaker Row.

Cranachan

Cranachan is something that must be mentioned. Although the cream is heavy begging for a heart attack, you can find/or make a lighter version. Apart from that oatmeal, raspberries, cream and whisky all together are just perfect.

Before it was eaten on the celebrations of harvest. Each element was Scotland itself – oats that helped people survive. Cows giving milk for various products. Raspberries that told you that summer is here and made you smile. And whisky of course – local “aqua vita”.

Edinburgh’s Rocks, fudge, tablets and polish krówka

All those words for one thing… No, it is not the same as polish krówka. In Poland it is hard on the outside and creamy on the inside or toffee-like. Scottish version is brittle or soft – it depends whether it was just made or stayed on the table all night (if it managed to do so). But it is still the same kind of a sweet, in Edinburgh coming in different flavors.

You can buy a tourist version, classical in taste and wrapped into something nice. Of course, Royal Mile is full of it.

Or you can try an upgraded version, but not hermetically sealed. In Edinburgh you can find two Fudge Kitchens – places that make it on the spot. They are worth your while, because you can see the actual process of production (especially the one on High Street, not Canongate). They give you the possibility to try it before buying – but don’t try all of them, or you will buy everything!

Tablets, wrapped in foil, can be found on Farmer’s Markets (reminder – parking under the Castle or Grassmarket).

Although it is a passage about fudge, a word about Markets is needed. You can find a lot of local, Scottish products there. They do not sell the food only, but also some handcrafted things, eg. jewellery. They are worth visiting, even on your way to some other place. Careful! The one under the castle is open on Saturday up till 2 pm (but from noon there is less and less there). The one on Grassmarket- well, Saturday, up till 5 pm (but sometimes there was no one, I do not know why).

Edinburgh has a few other markets. I put a link here, so you will get their names, and times, and dates. I am afraid that the only way to be sure is to check yourselves.

Shortbread

A strange name and the cookie is with butter mostly. Nothing fancy, just flour, butter and sugar. Word of notice – no vegetable oils! A true shortbread is made with butter only.

I mention them in here because you can find them in different shapes and sizes in every tourist shop. Not surprising. It is great as a souvenir. It even comes in a shape of a Skye Terrier, maybe Bobby?

Apart from that shortbread has Scottish roots (although it can be found in all Queen Countries). It was born in poverty when someone accidently added butter to a bread dough. It quickly became a thing of privilege, for special occasion. There was even a tradition when a shortbread was broken in half above a bride who was about to enter her new house. The cookie became popular because of Mary Queen of Scots who loved them. Today they are baked by the nations all over the world.

I recommend it with a black coffee – two extremes of tastes work really good together.

Culinary curiosities of Edinburgh

Each country has its favorite dishes. And people’s tastes and habits vary as well.

As in most cases – the thing that becomes the national cuisine comes from the times long past and the geographical predispositions. In cold Scotland we get a food that is nourishing and full of calories.
This is maybe the reason for those curious, everyday things that they eat here. But before we get there – let’s look into the direction of Mediterranean.

After the World Wars Edinburgh became a good place for the immigrants from Italy. They looked for a better life and they came for work. Today you can see the after-effects – there is a lot of Italian restaurants in the city. The true Italian restaurants, because everything is original starting with the cook and finishing with olive oil. But at the beginning, the thing that brought them money were – ice cream! Their recipe was that good that the first ice-trucks soon turned into cafeterias. Today we can find ice creams everywhere, but not all are Italian. What makes them special are the flavor variations and the quality (if we find a good place).

From my time in Edinburgh I remember two good cafeterias – Mary’s Milk Bar in Grassmarket and Affogato at Queensberry Street.

If you want to find a mainstream sweet thing try Tunnock Bars or Teacakes. The silver and red wrapping is easily spotted and it is always somewhere there, next to the counter. The bar is the caramel bar and the teacake – well you can only compare it with polish warm ice creams. Of course, you can find similar product of other companies, but the thing is that the Scots like their sweets in general.

What I can suggest is to try Scottish cakes – for example in Southern Cross Café on Cockburn Street (Royal Mile). No advertisement here – cakes are everywhere – but sooner or later you can spot the cakes sitting on the window. And they look sooo tasty.

Scots have a long tradition of baking – especially shortbread cakes, fruit cakes (Dundee Cake or Black Bun) and marbled cake. They stay up to date! – Oreo Cake was once brought to my place of work. So give a chance to the real thing, and leave the markets for last.

In the subject of sweet things – check out the Christmas Market or cupcake heaven in the New Town – e.g. Bibi Bakery (where the prices are like for a work of art).

With this note – let’s finish with sweets – something salty now.

The thing loved by Scots is the pulled pork/beef (doesn’t matter that it comes from US). This special form of a roast/kebab you can find in different places in Edinburgh, but the most captivating is Oink. Just try the burger, anywhere, and you wont regret it.

And in the subject of sandwiches, just a digression. I know this is something normal, we can get them everywhere. But their freshness and the multitude of things inside is worth mentioning. The price is good as well. All the best sandwiches are sold close to the University. It is cheap, delicious and satisfying – everything that the student would need.