A taste of Scotland

Though haggis may spring to mind first, Scotland's cuisine offers so much more. With the finest local ingredients from sea and land, Scottish chefs can create inspiring menus, making a Scottish visit a real gastronomic treat. A climate without extremes means that many parts of Scotland are particularly associated with food production.

The rich pasture of Ayrshire delivers quality dairy produce, cheeses such as Dunlop; there is also cheese from Campbeltown, in Kintyre across the Clyde estuary. East Lothian, the countryside east of Edinburgh, is sometimes called Scotland's granary, as the high sunshine records and low rainfall are ideal for cereal growing. Clydesdale, the upper valley of the River Clyde, is still noted for its orchards; while Strathmore, the long wide valley below the Highland edge in Angus, is Europe's leading soft fruit growing area.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen Angus cattle, still the byword for quality meat, are raised both in Angus and Grampian; while Moray's favoured position in the rain-shadow of the Grampian Hills means plenty of sunshine to ripen the barley for the local whisky distilleries.

From the "Scotch lamb" of the Border hills to the wild venison of the northern Highlands, Scotland offers plenty of regional produce - while the rich waters around its coasts provide further diversity for the Scottish menu.

Peterhead, for example, in Scotland's northeast, is the largest white-fish landing port in Europe. Fishing and fish processing are still important to many of Scotland's coastal communities, from the Moray Firth down to Eyemouth in the Borders in the east, and from Kinlochbervie down to the Solway Firth in the west.

Scotland's culinary skills did not develop in isolation. Before the union with England in 1707, Scotland had many continental links. The 15th century Stewart monarch, James I, insisted on a French cook in his household, so that by the time of King James V (who had a French wife, Mary of Lorraine) cuisine, at least in the royal court, was very sophisticated and continued to be so under King James' daughter, Mary, later to become Queen of Scots.

An interest in good cooking was sustained, partly through trading links - no Lowland laird or Highland chief went without his French claret - and partly through political links with the Continent by way of the Jacobites, the supporters of the exiled Stewart monarchs. In the late 18th century, by the time of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, French culinary terms were quite familiar.

They can be found, for instance, in Burns' poem 'To a Haggis', where the poet compares favourably the humble Scots dish of haggis (see below) with the French ragout or fricassee.

Scotland and oats
Scotland is associated with oats, originally because in the poorer soils of the Highlands and in the cooler summers it was a reliable cereal crop. Many a clansman, cattle drover or soldier could march all day on just a portion of it, perhaps cooked over an open fire on a griddle to form a primitive bannock. In the Lowlands, too, oatmeal was important. Well into the 20th century it was the staple diet of Lowland farm servants.

Formerly, in farm kitchens, the art of oatcake making was highly regarded. In its simplest form oatmeal was made into brose, that is, oatmeal with hot water, the first cousin of the more familiar porridge still popular today - especially since oats are an excellent source of soluble fibre. Oats is also the chief ingredient of skirlie (oatmeal fried with onions and animal fat, sometimes as a stuffing for chicken) or in the white or mealy pudding, a particular favourite in northeast Scotland. It also is used as a coating for fried fish or chicken and even turns up mixed with cream or ice cream on the sweet course.

Finally, it forms an important ingredient in haggis, which is probably the best known Scottish dish. Haggis is a sheep or lamb's stomach bag (or a plastic substitute), which is stuffed with oatmeal, suet, stock, liver and other offal (e.g. heart), onion, pepper and spices. Some butchers make a vegetarian version. It is part of the ritual to be observed at Burns Suppers, Scotland's annual celebration of its national poet's birthday on January 25th.

Several hotels and restaurants also offer haggis in various forms as a starter so that visitors can at least say they have tried it. The kitchen garden Long ago the humble green vegetable called kale was a staple for the ordinary folk of Scotland. Its use in everyday speech suggest its former importance in the Scottish diet. For example, the "kaleyard school" of Scottish literature is the name given to the 19th century fashion for Scottish writers to choose parochial, cosy or homely subjects; and 'cauld kale het up' (cold kale warmed) means any old tale or fashion revived.

Where kale was used in soup, specifically a thick and warming vegetable soup, modern recipes often substitute parsley - though the Highlanders of old preferred nettles in their soup and considered kale-eating Lowlanders effete! However, as the Scots are keen gardeners, there is a long-established tradition of vegetable growing, and today plenty of more exotic species can be found in the Scottish 'kaleyard'.

Many country house hotels pride themselves on their kitchen garden. Beef, game, fish - the main courses Perhaps the best known Scottish meat is Aberdeen Angus beef, which originated in the early 19th century when the breed was developed first in Angus from the native black cattle. The strain was further refined in Aberdeenshire and still gives high-quality lean meat from a hardy and easy-to-feed animal.

Venison in Scotland is mostly from red deer, an important animal in the economies of Highland sporting estates. Some venison is farmed and some also comes from roe deer, a species found in quite high numbers in woodlands all over Scotland. The best roasting venison, chefs maintain, comes from a young stag culled late in the autumn. The cook, however, must watch the joint carefully, as venison is a very lean meat which should not be overcooked.

The salmon is Scotland's best-known game fish with some salmon beats (fishing stretches) on some Scottish rivers commanding very high prices. But others claim the flavour of fresh sea trout (basically, a native brown trout which has run away to sea!) is a match for salmon, or that the taste of the brown trout, grown slowly in a Highland loch, is equally good. Some stocked waters also hold rainbow trout, a North American species. Both salmon and trout are also farmed.

Traditions of baking
The idea of a dessert or a pudding course (from the French desservir - to clear or take away [i.e. the main course]) took root in Scotland in the 16th century, about a century before the notion was widely accepted in England. This gave the Scots about a hundred-year start in practising the art of baking and sweet making. Scones, for example, which in Scotland are pronounced to rhyme with 'lawns', not only take their place in traditional cream teas or afternoon teas, to be found in cafes and hotels in Scotland, they may also be part of the array of baking to be enjoyed at high tea.

A Scots high tea is still found in some hotels and restaurants and consists of an afternoon tea bulked with a simply cooked hot dish, perhaps fish or steak pie. It is served from late afternoon into the early evening, i.e. before dinner, and is often a substitute for it. The tea part was introduced in Scotland by Mary of Modena (wife of King James VII and II). The menfolk, in particular, needed some sustenance to go along with this new-fangled, tea-making ritual, hence afternoon tea and, eventually, high tea.Afternoon (or high) tea seems to be a meal designed to allow the Scots baker to show off his or her baking skills.

As Scotland became a less rural society, fewer and fewer people baked their own bread. The town or village baker became increasingly important. Originally, professional bakers would have used French methods and would have been patronised only by the wealthier townsfolk but, with the development of a more urban society, good bakers began to flourish and cater to a wide market.

The traditional Scottish breakfast
This robust start to the day is still standard fare in the most basic of bed and breakfast establishment and will be on the menu in all hotels. Porridge, kippers or yellow (smoked) fish, bacon, black pudding, sausage, mushrooms and eggs of all kinds in any combination form the basis of a meal designed to sustain the visitor through a hard day's sightseeing. 'In the breakfast', Dr Johnson pontificated, during his 1773 visit, 'the Scots...must be confessed to excel us...if an epicure could remove by a wish in quest of sensual gratification... he would breakfast in Scotland'.

A taste of Scotland
How best to sample Scotland's cuisine, both the traditional and the innovative? As it happens, eating out in Scotland has entered a new era. A Taste of Scotland annually publishes the guide to the best eating places to stay in Scotland, and uses a team of more than twelve fully qualified inspectors. The new Visit Scotland Scheme A taste of Scotland has long been aware that Scotland's potential for excellence in eating simply was not being realised. We knew there were a great many wonderful places to eat and stay in Scotland - indeed, we could count more than 400 as our members each year.

At the same time, we were just as aware of the number of other places operating to a high standard which, given the kind of establishment they were, would never consider applying or be eligible for Taste of Scotland membership. The introduction of a new VisitScotland Scheme has changed all that. We are now able to assess a whole range of eating places from takeaways to tearooms, pubs and restaurants to guesthouses and B&Bs.

This also provides a breakthrough for all types of ethnic restaurants to be assessed under a nationally recognised scheme for the first time. All are assessed for the quality they offer, and awarded anything from one to five stars. What this means to visitors to Scotland is that they can now make informed decisions about where they want to eat based on the fact that the places which participate in this scheme have been independently assessed.

This means that, if you fancy trying a fish supper, you can find out where to enjoy a good or even world-class one! Equally, if what you are looking for is a fine dining experience, again, you can make your selection based on informed choice. Look out for the VisitScotland thistle, the category of establishment and the grade awarded. Taste of Scotland accreditation is only awarded to those establishments which not only meet the new criteria but which, over and above, make skilful use of fresh, locally-sourced produce, thus promoting our marvellous Scottish larder.