To get the lowdown on the foodie scene in Edinburgh, we consult Donald Reid, the eating and drinking editor of The List, the city’s homegrown version of Time Out magazine, over whisky at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Originally from Glasgow (everybody in Edinburgh we meet seems to be from somewhere else) Donald has lived in Edinburgh for 25 years. He’s passionate about local produce and is working hard to drive an interest in organic, sustainable food.
GT: Does Scotland have its own cuisine or is it all British cuisine the same?
DR: Scotland’s heritage cuisine is distinctly different but what we’re eating now is not too different to what the rest of Britain is eating. Heritage cuisine is oat-based, porridge for instance, barley, a lot of sheep, or rather mutton, venison, not much beef, a lot of fish and seafood, herring, mackerel, haddock – oysters were once a staple food of the masses, as they were very cheap – root vegetables, wild foods, mushrooms, berries… Scotland was always good at growing soft fruit. Let’s not forget baking is very traditional – we have drop scones, tarts, oatcakes, etc – and as they didn’t have ovens, it was all done on open fires on griddles.
What should people settling into Edinburgh for a while cook?
Well, we cook a lot of soups here, which are amazingly good, like Scotch broth, leak and potato, and Cullen Skink. Cullen is the name of a fishing town and Skink is a local term for soup/sloppy. Some make it with milk or cream, but I think cream is an aberration as it should already have a creamy texture. Make sure you keep it chunky.
What’s Scotland’s quintessential dish?
Haggis. Definitely haggis. Essentially, it’s just a form of sausage that’s using stuff that other people are throwing out that is cooked in a sheep’s stomach. You steam it, open the bag, and scoop it out. It doesn’t look very good. It’s cheap, it’s poor man’s food, canteen food, a very humble dish – but it’s nourishing, hearty, and very tasty. If you’re making it at home, buy McSweeney’s. The veggie haggis is good too. You should also try haggis at a baked potato shop.
Edinburgh’s top foodie experiences?
Eat seafood down in Leith – for lunch or dinner; there are Michelin starred restaurants down there serving up some of Scotland’s finest seafood: shellfish, smoked fish, mussels, crab, lobster…
Visit Edinburgh Farmer’s Market – it’s the biggest in Scotland and draws producers from a 50-mile radius. There are stalls selling venison, vegetables, cured meats, artisanal bakers, honey… look out for the porridge bar – they’ve turned porridge into a street food! – and try one of the pork rolls.
Shop Edinburgh’s specialty shops – for cheese, shop at Mellis on Victoria Street, where you can get wonderful Scottish farmhouse cheeses. Demi Joan is a liquid deli. He sells liqueurs, vinegars, oils, etc, from all over Scotland and the UK.
What about breakfast? Do Scots eat eggs?
Porridge. I eat porridge every day at home. The best porridge is Stoats, which you can try at the Farmer’s Market. On weekend we go out for breakfast. A popular breakfast is a tattie scone (potato scone), bacon, and eggs.
Edinburgh’s must-do restaurants?
Ondine for high grade, sustainable, top end seafood; The Kitchin, for the most interesting food in Edinburgh – the chef is engaged with local produce, it’s a younger style of cuisine, and is more accessible than some of the other French-style Michelin-starred restaurants; and Earthy, for lunch; it’s a shop that sells freshly sourced, local, smart, organic produce. Everything is free trade and it has a market feel and a lovely café. The café reflects the food in the shop and shows off what they have.
Edinburgh’s best bars?
Oloroso, a rooftop bar and restaurant in the heart of the new town with a fantastic bar menu – interesting small plates – and views of the Castle; Vintners Rooms in Leith, a whisky bar with an endless selection of whiskies; and Bow Bar, a traditional pub on Victoria Street with lots of beers on top.
Edinburgh seems to have a bit of a boutique beer scene. What beers should we try?
Edinburgh used to be a big centre for breweries. Try Deuchars, an Indian Pale Ale; Innis & Gunn, beer made in whisky casks; and Stewart’s.
6 comments
1 ping
jeannie says:
August 1, 2011 at 3:41 pm (UTC 10 )
Definitely going to have some porridge from Stoats! Can’t wait to eat at The Kitchin! And I will most likely bring some Scottish cheeses home.
Terence Carter says:
August 1, 2011 at 3:46 pm (UTC 10 )
Absolutely love The Kitchin. Tom is doing great stuff. You should check out Martin Wishart as well – we didn’t go (we blew a lot of money at The Kitchin!) but it has a great reputation with local foodies.
Hidden Edinburgh says:
April 20, 2012 at 10:47 pm (UTC 10 )
Great article, we have posted it here: http://www.facebook.com/HiddenEdinburgh
Lara Dunston says:
May 2, 2012 at 12:31 pm (UTC 10 )
Thanks, guys!
Jools Stone says:
May 4, 2012 at 3:42 am (UTC 10 )
Do the Scotch eat eggs? Well, what about Scotch Eggs? Actually I’m not sure if they are that popular here, but I love them myself, having one on a virtually daily basis of late!
Good stuff here anyway. The Farmer’s Market is indeed great and loads of great delis/specialty stores on Victoria St, and around Stockbridge and Bruntsfield.
Lara Dunston says:
May 4, 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC 10 )
We’ll have to look into Scotch eggs. Saw them on the menus of a few pubs in Melbourne doing modern British pub grub. We love our eggs too, hence that Weekend Eggs series Terence does, which is a bit of a long term project. Just disappointed that people don’t experiment with them enough when it comes to breakfast.
Thanks for dropping by, Jools!
Going Local in Edinburgh | Traveling Savage says:
April 25, 2011 at 6:04 am (UTC 10 )
[...] guide to the city, edited by local foodie Donald Reid, a font of knowledge when it comes to Scottish cuisine.4. Hit Edinburgh’s Farmer’s Market – visit this compact albeit excellent farmer’s market [...]