Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but shares much with wider British cuisine as a result of foreign and local influences both ancient and modern. Traditional Scottish dishes exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration.
Scotland's natural larder of game, dairy, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the integral factor in traditional Scots cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and a lack of spices from abroad, which were often very expensive. While many inveterate dishes such as Scotch broth are considered healthy, many common dishes are rich in fat, and may contribute to the high rates of heart disease and obesity in the country.
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, which contributes to Scotland's relatively high mortality rate from coronary heart disease.
Scotland's natural larder of game, dairy, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the integral factor in traditional Scots cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and a lack of spices from abroad, which were often very expensive. While many inveterate dishes such as Scotch broth are considered healthy, many common dishes are rich in fat, and may contribute to the high rates of heart disease and obesity in the country.
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, which contributes to Scotland's relatively high mortality rate from coronary heart disease.
Despite this, Scottish cuisine is enjoying a renaissance. As of 2009, fourteen restaurants with Michelin stars served traditional or fusion cuisine made with local ingredients. In most towns, Chinese and Indian take-away restaurants exist along with traditional fish and chip shops. Larger towns and cities offer cuisine ranging from Thai and Japanese to Mexican, Pakistani, Polish or Turkish.
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 (griddle). 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.
Traditional Scottish foods
Soups
Cullen Skink
Baud bree
Cock-a-leekie soup
Game soup
Hairst Bree (or Hotch potch)
Partan bree
Scotch broth
Fish and Seafood
Arbroath smokies
Cabbie claw (Cabelew)
Ceann Cropaig
Crappit heid
Eyemouth pales
Finnan haddie
Kippers
Kedgeree
Rollmops
Smoked salmon
Tatties and Herring
Meat, Poultry and Game
Ayrshire bacon
Black pudding, Red pudding and White pudding
Boiled Gigot of Mutton or Lamb
Forfar Bridie
Chicken tikka masala
Collops
Haggis
Howtowdie with Drappit eggs
Kilmeny Kail
Mince and tatties
Mutton ham
Pottit heid
Potted hough
Roast Aberdeen Angus beef
Roast Haunch of Venison
Roast Grouse
Roast Woodcock/Snipe
Solan goose
Scotch pie
Skirlie
Square sausage
Stovies
Vegetables
Clapshot
Curly Kail
Neeps and Tatties (Swede and Potato)
Rumbledethumps
Tattie scones
Fruits
Raspberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Cereals
Porridge
Sowans
Dairy and Cheese
Bishop Kennedy
Carola
Criffel
Crowdie
Ayrshire Dunlop
Gigha
Isle of Mull Cheddar
Lanark Blue
Loch Arthur
Morven
Caboc
Strathdon Blue
Dunsyre Blue
Galloway Cheddar
Puddings and Desserts
Burnt Cream
Apple Frushie
Blueberry pie
Carrageen Moss
Clootie Dumpling
Cranachan
Hatted Kit
Marmalade pudding
Stapag
Tipsy Laird
Cakes, Breads and Confectioneries
Abernethy biscuits
Bannock
Berwick cockles
Black bun
Butteries
Caramel shortbread
Drop-scones
Dundee cake
Edinburgh rock
Fatty Cutties
Festy cock
Hawick balls
Jethart Snails
Moffat toffee
Oatcakes
Pan drops
Pan loaf
Petticoat tails
Plain loaf
Puff Candy
Scones
Scots Crumpets
Selkirk Bannock, variations include Yetholm Bannock
Shortbread
Soor plooms
Tablet
Condiments
Dundee Marmalade
Rowan jelly
Spiced plums
Alcoholic
Soups
Cullen Skink
Baud bree
Cock-a-leekie soup
Game soup
Hairst Bree (or Hotch potch)
Partan bree
Scotch broth
Fish and Seafood
Arbroath smokies
Cabbie claw (Cabelew)
Ceann Cropaig
Crappit heid
Eyemouth pales
Finnan haddie
Kippers
Kedgeree
Rollmops
Smoked salmon
Tatties and Herring
Meat, Poultry and Game
Ayrshire bacon
Black pudding, Red pudding and White pudding
Boiled Gigot of Mutton or Lamb
Forfar Bridie
Chicken tikka masala
Collops
Haggis
Howtowdie with Drappit eggs
Kilmeny Kail
Mince and tatties
Mutton ham
Pottit heid
Potted hough
Roast Aberdeen Angus beef
Roast Haunch of Venison
Roast Grouse
Roast Woodcock/Snipe
Solan goose
Scotch pie
Skirlie
Square sausage
Stovies
Vegetables
Clapshot
Curly Kail
Neeps and Tatties (Swede and Potato)
Rumbledethumps
Tattie scones
Fruits
Raspberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Cereals
Porridge
Sowans
Dairy and Cheese
Bishop Kennedy
Carola
Criffel
Crowdie
Ayrshire Dunlop
Gigha
Isle of Mull Cheddar
Lanark Blue
Loch Arthur
Morven
Caboc
Strathdon Blue
Dunsyre Blue
Galloway Cheddar
Puddings and Desserts
Burnt Cream
Apple Frushie
Blueberry pie
Carrageen Moss
Clootie Dumpling
Cranachan
Hatted Kit
Marmalade pudding
Stapag
Tipsy Laird
Cakes, Breads and Confectioneries
Abernethy biscuits
Bannock
Berwick cockles
Black bun
Butteries
Caramel shortbread
Drop-scones
Dundee cake
Edinburgh rock
Fatty Cutties
Festy cock
Hawick balls
Jethart Snails
Moffat toffee
Oatcakes
Pan drops
Pan loaf
Petticoat tails
Plain loaf
Puff Candy
Scones
Scots Crumpets
Selkirk Bannock, variations include Yetholm Bannock
Shortbread
Soor plooms
Tablet
Condiments
Dundee Marmalade
Rowan jelly
Spiced plums
Alcoholic
Drambuie
Ginger wine
Scotch ale and beer
Scotch mist- a cocktail containing mainly whisky
Whisky
Non Alcoholic
Irn Bru
Red Kola
Sugarellie
Irn Bru
Red Kola
Sugarellie
Fast food
Fish and chip shops remain extremely popular, and indeed the battered and fried haggis supper remains a favourite; they have been joined in more recent years by outlets selling pizzas, Turkish-style kebabs, pakoras and other convenience foodstuffs.
In addition to independent fast-food outlets, American-style burger bars and other restaurants were introduced such as McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
