Edinburgh Archives - Hungry Travelers

Edinburgh

Cock-a-leekie is a winter warmer with a Scottish burr

Posted on March 5, 2022March 1, 2022 by Pat and David

We confess that much of our usual menu reflects the sun-baked cuisines of the Mediterranean rim. They are dishes full of tomatoes, citrus fruit, garlic, and fresh herbs. But those dishes don't always sync up with our New England climate, which has more in common with Scotland than with Sardinia. Okay, Scottish dining usually conjures up images of haggis, cullen skink (don't ask), or deep-fried Snickers. But Glasgow also gave us Gordon Ramsey. This time of year the Scottish markets (and ours in New England) overflow with root veggies such as leeks, parsnips, celery root, and carrots. The leek is the real clean-up hitter of the Scottish kitchen. It lends a rich flavor to everything it touches, especially the myriad of Scottish soups based on...Read More

Tea with a Scottish burr in the Balmoral’s Palm Court

Posted on May 19, 2018May 17, 2018 by Pat and David

Any visitor who relishes the Scottish baronial architectural style of Edinburgh's central core has imagined a night at The Balmoral Hotel (1 Princes Street, Edinburgh; + 44 (0)131-556-2414; roccofortehotels.com/the-balmoral-hotel). The grand railway hotel opened in 1902 to complement Waverly Station and remains the most storied hotel in the city. With rooms starting around $325 and quickly rising, its elegant comforts are out of reach for many. But the hotel offers one sweet, not quite so dear indulgence. Book afternoon tea in the Palm Court, one of the classiest, most elegant rooms in Edinburgh. You can take in the surroundings as you linger over a tiered tray of sandwiches and savories, hot scones with clotted cream and preserves, a seasonal selection of pastries, and a choice...Read More

So … what’s the big deal about haggis?

Posted on March 21, 2018March 19, 2018 by Pat and David

Canadian comedian Mike Myers once observed that Scottish cuisine is basically based on a dare. He was likely referring to Scotland's national dish, haggis. We have to admit that we didn't know what to expect of this traditional delicacy that Robert Burns hailed as the “great chieftain o' the puddin'-race.” After all, it consists of minced sheep's heart, liver, and lungs combined with onion, oats, and suet—all cooked up in a sheep's stomach. That makes it the most extreme of savory puddings to have survived into the modern era. Yorkshire pudding is little more than pancake batter that soaks up the juices of a roast. Black pudding is a type of blood sausage with a lot of oatmeal in it that is usually served at...Read More

Tastes of Scotland light up a winter visit

Posted on March 19, 2018March 17, 2018 by Pat and David

We wonder if the Scottish diet was invented sometime at the end of the last Ice Age. On our recent late-winter visit to Glasgow and Edinburgh, we found that such Scottish specialties as cullen skink, neeps and tatties, Arbroath smokies, Scotch pie, and even the ubiquitous haggis have a special appeal when the temperature hovers around the freezing point and the weatherman won't commit to whether it will rain or snow. Nordic cuisine continues to have a moment on the international gourmet scene. We found that eating in Scotland was an excellent way to get in touch with the roots of high-latitude foodstuffs before the trendy restaurants of Copenhagen and Bergen started tinkering with them. There's a pure honesty to a cuisine based on short-season...Read More