A Canadian’s First Impression of 10 Scottish Foods

“9 years ago today,” Google Photos reminded me, showing a carousel of pictures from Scotland.

It’s been almost a decade since I arrived in the UK. What a roller coaster it’s been! I wrote about my experiences moving “across the pond” in my poetry book, The Heart Decided to Move. I wrote other pieces about the experience as well—some published, some not. Among them is this little essay sharing my delight and surprise at some of the Scottish foods I encountered. In the spirit of “9 years ago today,” I’m sharing it with you now.

A Canadian’s First Impression of 10 Scottish Foods

My paternal grandfather’s family came from Scotland. He died when I was seven, but my key memories of him pre-illness involved food, like the lox and scrambled eggs he enjoyed for breakfast before smoking a pipe. When I moved to Edinburgh on a UK ancestry visa, eager to connect with my heritage, I took it for granted that culinary matters would be involved. I was familiar with shortbread and scones from family recipes, but many Scottish foods were new to my North American palate. I dove in and tried them with gusto—and mixed results. Here’s what one Canadian thought about a few distinctive Scottish and UK foods upon first encounter.

1. Haggis: In the Scottish capital, haggis is sold in food trucks and even as a burger topping. I approached this dish, made by cooking sheep organs and oatmeal (traditionally inside a sheep’s stomach), with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, trying an appetizer of haggis balls at a nice restaurant. They tasted spicy and meaty, not a flavor I was used to. Over time, I became fonder of the dish, and even enjoyed it on top of the aforementioned burger. It serves a nice kick, but like Australia’s marmite, it’s not for everyone.
2. Scotch eggs: These boiled eggs covered in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, then deep fried, are Scottish classics available in supermarkets and weekend food markets alike. I enjoyed the savory mix of proteins and felt energized every time I ate one. Plus, they’re the perfect size to munch on. Yum!
3. Deep fried pizza: UK chip shops (or “chippies” as they are affectionately called) are fond of their fried foods. One in Edinburgh offered a cheese pizza that was entirely deep fried. I had a slice or two, but that was all I could handle. The pizza, doughy and sparse on the sauce, was only vaguely recognizable under the heavy grease. If you’re a fried foods fan, maybe you’d like it better than I did.
4. Rock cakes: While reading the Harry Potter books as a kid, I assumed that many of the foods enjoyed by Harry and his friends were invented, like Bertie Botts’ Every Flavor Beans. I mean, how could “spotted dick” be a real thing? (Now those odd jellybeans exist in real life, and I’ve discovered that spotted dick does, too.) The “rock cakes” that Hagrid served Harry and his friends always made me laugh; I pictured burnt North American-style biscuits given a goofy name. Imagine my surprise when I went to a Scottish church function and discovered a plate of rock cakes, there for the tasting. They are, in fact, scone-like baked goods stuffed with raisins. They have a light texture and don’t taste like rocks at all. I recommend rock cakes, as long as Hagrid doesn’t bake them!
5. Pie (not the fruity kind): A proper British pie is a savory dish, unlike the sweet Canadian ones I made with fruit at home. The first one I tried was a steak pie at a fish and chips shop in a small Scottish town. I won’t mention where, because it wasn’t very good: the miniature pie boasted a dry crust and gummy texture. My second steak pie (from a different spot) was delicious, with an ale-soaked flavor and finely cooked meat, so mileage on this dish varies widely.
6. Fish and chips: You may be sensing a pattern here: many of these dishes come from a chippy. Putting fish and chips on here is cheating a bit, because my home province of Prince Edward Island, and many other North American destinations, offer some version of cod with fries and tartar sauce. It’s better in the UK, fried golden with thick wedge-like chips (the skinny American-style potato side being called “fries” here too). I came to expect white fish, topping options like vinegar and “brown sauce” (the sweet-and-savory specialty reminded me of vinegar in the best way), and a heartier helping than you can eat in one go.
7. Cullen skink: A traditional Scottish soup with smoked fish, a can or bowl of this creamy, potato-strewn recipe goes down like a dream. The smoky flavor permeates the entire bowl. I found this soup to vary in quality, but I have yet to meet a bad one. One of these days, during lockdown, I might try making it myself.
8. Jaffa Cakes and Tunnock’s Teacakes: Like rock cakes, these teatime treats stretched my understanding of what could be called a “cake”. Jaffa Cakes have a sponge base, orange jam, and a layer of chocolate on top. Tunnock’s Teacakes boast a chocolate-covered meringue atop a shortbread biscuit. Both of these, prior to coming to the UK, would have fit my definition of “delicious cookies”, while here they are not quite biscuits but layer cakes’ little cousins.
9. Mince pie: This sweet Christmastime pie (miniature, like many British savory pies) is made of mincemeat, which isn’t actually meat but minced fruit with suet. Raisins, currants, and orange peel feature in it. I had one at a coffee shop, dusted with powdered sugar. It seemed like a fruitcake in tart form. I wasn’t sure if I liked the heavy sweet or not. I found some supermarket versions of this pie a bit bitter; nonetheless, they all tasted, somehow, like Christmas.
10. Tablet: It sounds like an iPad and tastes like what it is—fudge. Light in color, it’s made with sweetened condensed milk and sold in gift shops across Edinburgh. I loved it, like most types of fudge, in small doses. This treat is buttery, a little dry, and exquisitely sweet. Not all that different from my grandma’s shortbread, albeit an ocean away.

For a more personal take on my first impressions of Scotland, you can read my essay “Land, Love, and My People” on School of Shine.