Edinburgh Food
When asked to name the world's gastronomic centres, Edinburgh may not trip of the (watering) tongue as quickly as cities such as Paris, Rome or New York, but it can offer the finest in the oft-ignored Scottish cuisine.
Haggis is the obvious "delicacy" that springs to mind when asked to name Scottish food, although the mix of sheep's offal encased in a stomach may not be to everyone's taste. Traditionally, haggis is made from minced and boiled organs, blended with beef suet for added richness and oatmeal, before the whole mixture is sewn shut in a sheep's stomach. The haggis is then boiled for at least three hours and then traditionally served with mashed swedes and potatoes.
Less adventurous visitors may wish to stick to other Scottish favourites, such as Aberdeen Angus steak, served enthusiastically in many restaurants across the city. Colcannon is also popular across Scotland and is a surprisingly appetising mixture of boiled cabbage, carrots, turnips and potatoes, which are boiled and then stewed. In a similar "leftovers as gourmet treat" vein is Stovied Tatties, sometimes also known as Stovies. Onions are fried and boiled with leftover potatoes in a good dollop of beef dripping (preferably from Aberdeen Angus beef!) and other leftover vegetable and meat scraps can be added to the savoury and filling mix.
Scottish smoked salmon also features heavily on many local restaurants' menu, which is unsurprising given its high quality. It is also common to serve smoked salmon hot, often accompanied by a leek sauce.
Pudding-wise, Scots traditionally nibble on a Black Bun, a rich fruitcake so called because of its dark colour. Oatcakes are also a popular end to any meal, normally served with a cheese such as Crowdie, which is made from soured milk seasoned with salt and pepper and then rolled in oats.
Restaurants across the city serve traditional Scottish fare, while a number of familiar chains also cater for the less-adventurous tourist. It's often claimed that Edinburgh has more restaurants per capita than London and a brief stroll around its myriad of cobbled streets and back alleys make this a tough claim to disprove.
The Witchery near Edinburgh Castle is probably the city's most famous and most spectacular restaurant and, although pricey, is well worth splurging on. The menu is truly mouth watering, boasting an impressive range of dishes including Aberdeen Angus steak, hot smoked salmon, Scottish lobsters and rock oysters.
The Tower restaurant is also popular among Scots and tourists alike and can lay claim to be one of the only restaurants attached to a museum in the UK, being perched on top of the Benson and Forsyth Museum. Its unique location gives it spectacular views across the cityscape. It's the restaurant of choice for stars such as Helena Bonham Carter, Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery when they're in town and was hailed by AA Gill as the hottest seat in Edinburgh.
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Eating and Drinking
