Breakfast time in Scotland
Scotland has numerous attractive Bed and Breakfast places which are part of the charm of traveling through the country. A substantial breakfast which keeps you going all through the day is a part of the deal and in Scotland you can savor many traditional dishes at breakfast time. In fact Scotland is famous for its hearty breakfasts and no people in the world are more hospitable.
Until the middle of the eighteenth century, most communities in Scotland lived in isolation and many of their dishes were very local, based on the ingredients available to them. Oatmeal is still a staple food here and most of the older people begin the day with a bowl of porridge. This is followed by soft warm rolls known as baps, kippered herring from Loch Fyne or smoked haddock (‘smokies’) from Aberdeen and Arbroath and scones and oatcakes with heather honey. The Scots are proud of their Scottish cooked full breakfast served in all B&B establishments and most hotels and restaurants in Scotland.
Today, breakfast in Scotland invariably has eggs to order, at least two kinds of breakfast meat, some form of potato, grilled tomatoes, toast or roll, marmalade, coffee and juice and, if you want, porridge or cold cereal. The breakfast meat could be bacon, veal, pork or beef sausage, black pudding, haggis or kippers. Potatoes are a triangular patty of hash browns or a “tattie scones”, thin triangular cakes made from potato flour. Scottish breakfast may also include sautéed sliced mushrooms and baked beans.
A breakfast favorite in Scotland you might like to try:
Scottish Oat Scones
1 & 1/2 cup flour
11/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add melted butter, milk and egg to dry ingredients and mix. Stir in raisins into the dough and form a ball with it. Pat out on lightly floured surface to form an 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 to 12 wedges. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Serve warm with a dollop of Devonshire cream topped with orange marmalade.
