While writing my previous blog about my trip to Scotland, I realized that if I was going to talk about all of the food I ate then it would’ve been a mile long, so I decided to dedicate an entire post to all of the delicious (and not so delicious) things I tried while up north:

Haggis:

Haggis balls featuring Irn Bru: basically Scotland in a nutshell

Probably the most infamous of British dishes, Haggis is the lovely Scottish delicacy that consists of minced sheep’s pluck (heart, lungs, and liver), oats, and spices. It’s unfortunate that I knew what it was when I went to take my first bite, because if I hadn’t I probably would’ve gone in for a second. We ordered it as an appetizer, so it came in little fried balls rather than in the traditional sheep’s stomach casing (which was fine by me)…and it was not terrible. I only took one bite, but at the fault of my brain and not my tastebuds. The spices were pretty tasty (they do make veggie haggis–I would try that sometime), but the texture was not especially appealing. An interesting experience, but not one I particularly want to have again.

Irn Bru:

Irn Bru earrings: in case there was any doubt of how much the Scots like this beverage

Scotland is one of the only places where Coke is not the best selling soda on the market, and it’s because of Irn Bru. A fizzy orange drink, it looks almost like Fanta, and some people say they just taste citrus when they drink it. In my opinion? It tastes like bubblegum and battery acid. It’s acidic but not in a citrus-y way and is so reminiscent of that Hubba Bubba bubble tape I used to eat in elementary school that I think it would make a way better candy than a drink. It was, however, oddly refreshing to just keep sipping–I finished my bottle.

Salmon:

Salmon

I’ve only been eating salmon for a few years, but this was by far the best I’ve ever had. Scotland is known for their salmon and I’ve just never had any that was so fresh. It was also a nice break from all the fried pub food I had been devouring!

Fish and chips!

Fish and Chips:

Fish and chips is definitely not just a Scottish thing, but the fish and chips I had there took over as THE BEST, in my opinion, fish and chips ever (a title previously held by The Codmother in San Francisco). It was in a little fishing village in the East Neuk of Fife called Anstruther, at a restaurant called Anstruther Fish Bar. The village is pretty much dead in the winter but this place was packed with locals on their lunch breaks. The fish was unreal. I’ve never had fish that was so good and fresh, and you could look out the window and see the fishing boats that brought it in. It’s about a two-hour bus ride from Edinburgh, but I believe that it’s worth making the trip for Anstruther Fish Bar alone.

Hot toddy:

Hot toddy

I’m not a huge whiskey drinker, but when in Scotland you can’t not have at least a dram. I became familiar with hot toddies at the pub down the street from my London flat, but unsurprisingly, they make them better in Scotland. A mix of hot tea, whiskey, lemon, honey, and spices, it’s the perfect winter warmer after being outside all day (and was much needed after a terrifying Edinburgh ghost tour we took)!

Brazilian Crepes:

Brazilian crepes in the making

It might seem about out of place, but when a bunch of locals told us about a food stand in Edinburgh that had the best crepes in the Scotland, we couldn’t just pass it up. Tupiniquim sells sweet and savoury Brazilian crepes, which are naturally gluten free because they have a tapioca base instead of traditional flour. We had just eaten lunch so we opted for a sweet sugar, cinnamon, and banana crepe that was out of this world. It was similar to a regular french crepe but lighter and a bit more sturdy, which made it excellent street food!

I also had an amazing dessert, but you can read about it in my post on Hot Chocolate! More about my adventures in Scotland coming soon!

Location: Edinburgh