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The food of Scotland
Scottish cuisine has an enviable reputation and owes much to its magnificent quality and variety of natural produce and raw ingredients.

Expect splendid seafood, meat and game, and superb vegetables and luscious fruits. Try some regional recipes:
Caledonian cream
Fife miner's stew
Haggis and beef meatballs
Orkney Fudge Cheesecake
Scotch broth

Scottish raspberries are regarded as the best in the world - fruits and herbs, both cultivated and wild, thrive in Scotland's long cool summers.

Oatmeal is used in tasty oatcakes, bread, broths, and of course porridge.

Barley is a key ingredient of the famed Scotch broth - the country's favourite soup. It's also malted to produce the country's famed Scotch whisky.

Several classic Scottish dishes from the borders, highlands and isles have survived almost unchanged through the centuries.

Shortbread is arguably one of Scotland's greatest exports. Scotland's first published cookery book 'Receipts for Cookery and Pastrywork' (Mrs. McLintock) in 1736 included a recipe for short bread, which used flour, yeast and butter. By the 19th century the yeast was omitted and the recipe resembled today's familiar rich buttery shortbread.

Dundee Cake also famous is lighter than traditional fruit cake and has a characteristic topping of whole or split almonds.

Haggis, perhaps Scotland's best known dish is made from 'sheep's pluck' (liver, heart and lungs plus oatmeal, suet, herbs, spices and seasoning) to producers' own secret recipes.

Recently, there's has been a resurgence of interest in high quality traditional and speciality cheese made by independent cheese makers across the country, and Orkney is particularly renowned for its superb selection.

Rock
A strong baking tradition is much in evidence with delicious breads, cakes and biscuits, mouth-watering desserts, puddings, sweets and toffees.

The famous pastel coloured, powdery Edinburgh rock was created by Sandy Ferguson. It was so popular with his friends that he decided to go to Edinburgh to make it on a grander scale.

Dundee marmalade
The popularity of the celebrated Dundee marmalade was established by Janet Keiller, a Dundee grocer's wife. The story goes that she bought a load of Seville oranges cheaply from a storm-wrecked ship in Dundee harbour, around 1770 and made a batch of marmalade.

Originally, marmalade was strongly flavoured, and so dense and sticky that a knife was needed to slice it. The Scots were the first to produce a less thick and sticky marmalade, and the first to eat it at breakfast as it was believed the peel and sugar provided an energising start to the day.

Preserving fish
Scotland is the centre of an ancient fishing industry. Shetlanders, in common with Scandinavians, share a love of fermented fish and both enjoy the heads, roes and livers of white fish which are the by-products of salting the fish.

Smoked fish
Smoked fish such as haddock and salmon have been internationally renowned since the days when slow travel by road and sea made the preservation of fish an economic necessity. Salmon smoking was an important industry in Scotland as far back as the 13th century when the city of Glasgow started as a salmon fishing village.

Modern Scottish cooking
This is an exciting time for Scottish cuisine thanks to producers and retailers whose constant efforts to guarantee the finest quality and value for money, have ensured that Scottish fare has deservedly achieved international acclaim. A new generation of chefs have added a contemporary twist to many of Scotland's traditional favourites, and are using fine Scottish produce in imaginative and inspired ways.

Carol Wilson