The Scottish take pride in their tradition and culture and nothing demonstrates this better than their rich and varied cuisines. The most popular Scottish dishes seem to each have a history of their own, shown in the following five dishes.

1- Haggis

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The recipe first appeared in 1615 in “The English Huswife” by Gervase Markahm and is heralded as Scotland’s national dish. While the thought of haggis seems unappealing to tourists, this dish actually has a pleasant taste. Traditionally the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep were removed, boiled, and minced with chopped onions, oatmeal, and spices, and stuffed into a cleaned sheep’s stomach. Then the stomach was sewn shut and boiled for 3 hours. Today, haggis is served in a synthetic skin and there are vegetarian recipes made with legumes and vegetables. Haggis is usually served separately with mashed potatoes and turnips, also know as neeps and tatties, or with a whiskey based sauce.

2- Bannocks or Oatcakes

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A chewy type of pan fried biscuit, bannocks are a popular breakfast food in Scotland. The barley and oat flour biscuit is historically tied to the druid’s division of the seasons where special bannocks were made for each. Traditionally bannocks were made unleavened, but with the modern use of baking soda and powder it is light and airy. Several versions of bannocks are made in Scotland, with the most popular being the selkirk bannock. The selkirk bannock is a spongy variety with a lot of raisins first made by Robbie Douglas in 1859. It is said that when Queen Victoria visited Sir Walter Scott’s granddaughter she took a slice with her tea, ensuring the bannocks place in Scottish history. The bannock can now be found in supermarkets of Scotland and variations are made worldwide.

3- Hotch-Potch or Scotch Broth

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Hotch-Potch is a delicious soup stock made of boiled mutton, carrots, leeks, turnips, onions, and celery. Mutton is the traditional meat used, but can be replaced with chicken or beef and the choice of vegetables is up to the chef. In this popular Scottish dish the mutton was removed after cooking and served separately as the main course. Now, the meat is kept in the soup as a one course meal. A popular New Year’s Day dish, Scotch Broth is better served a day after cooking which gives the flavors time to marinate.

4- Stovied Tatties or Stovies

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Stovies are made from potatoes with left over roast beef or sausage and onions which are stewed with fat. The ingredients are boiled on the stove with meat drippings, water, and meat stock. When finished, stovies have the consistency of mashed potatoes. Traditionally, this popular Scottish dish was cooked on Sunday using the leftovers of the week.

5- Black Bun

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Another recipe steeped in Scottish history, this popular dish is made in a pastry crust with a fruity filling of raisins, almonds, currents, and brandy. This recipe was once eaten to celebrate Twelfth Night, but is now enjoyed for Hogmanay on December 31st (the Scottish new year’s eve). This popular Scottish dish is thought to date back to the 16th century and made several weeks in advance in order for the fruit to absorb the alcohol.