St Andrew’s Day

November 27, 2017

• Topical

St Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s national day and is celebrated each year on 30 November. St Andrew, one of Christ’s disciples and brother of St Peter, is the patron saint of Scotland. According to legend a monk called Regulus brought relics (tooth, kneecap, finger bones, arm) of St Andrew to Scotland. The settlement which grew around the church Regulus built became the town of St Andrew’s. The cathedral soon became a place of religious pilgrimage. The Scottish flag, the Saltire, is rooted in the story of St Andrew. It is based on the X-shaped cross on which St Andrew was crucified on.

St Andrew’s Day is a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food, music and dance. In Scotland the day is also seen as the start of a season of Scottish winter festivals including Hogmanay and Burns Night. Though this day isn’t celebrated as wildly as some other Scottish holidays the day is celebrated by some by wearing traditional costume, drinking traditional Scotch whisky, eating traditional Scottish food – neeps and tatties, listening to traditional Scottish music, and enjoying traditional Scottish dancing.

In a celebration of Scottish culture we have found eight traditional Scottish dishes which you may not have heard of. See if you can guess what they are before looking at the descriptions!

1. Haggis

Haggis is Scotland’s national dish and as such is very famous. Most people know it is made from various bits of sheep but here is a full list of ingredients. Sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, traditionally encased in the sheep’s stomach. Nowadays most haggis is prepared in a sausage casing. The Haggis is eaten all year round but has special significance at celebrations such as Burns Night when it is served with Neeps and Tatties (turnips and potatoes).

2. Cullen Skink

This is a famous Scottish fish soup recipe featuring smoked haddock and potato. It is rich and filling and can be a meal in itself. The Forfar Bridie is believed to have first been created by a woman called a Maggie Bridie who was a travelling food seller, though this is a bit of a myth!The name comes from the village of Cullen in Morayshire.

3. Black Bun

The Black Bun is a very rich fruitcake however it is unusual in that it is made in a pastry casing. The cake is served as part of the celebrations for New Year in Scotland. The ingredients include; almonds, raisins, currants, and brandy as well as cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger.

4. Forfar Bridie

This is a Scottish pie which is renowned the world over. The Forfar Bridie looks similar to a Cornish pasty and its filling is mostly meat and onions, unlike the Cornish pasty the Forfar Bridie does not include potatoes. Forfar is a small town in the county of Angus.

5. Crannachan

Crannachan is a yummy desert which combines many traditional Scottish ingredients such oats, malt whiskey, and heather honey. It is believed that this desert was originally devised to celebrate the Harvest festival and the main ingredient is raspberries mixed with lots of double cream! A naughty but nice treat!

6. Clootie Dumpling

The Clootie, or Cloutie, Dumpling gets its name from the “clout” or cloth in which it was traditionally boiled. This is a favourite all year round, but especially at Christmas. The recipe can be very simple, with suet, flour, dried fruit, sugar, and spices however, it can be added to with various types of fruit and vegetable added to the mix! It is often served with custard.

7. Stovies

This is another foodstuff which has many recipes. It is made with potatoes and dripping and is traditionally a meat substitute. However, meat such as sausages, lamb, and corned beef along with various vegetables can be added to the most basic recipe. ‘To stove’ means ‘to stew’ in Scots and this is where the name originates.

8. Scotch Egg

Ok, most people will have heard of these be they deserve a place in this list even if it is because of the name alone! A Scotch Egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in bread crumbs and then baked or deep fried. However, misleadingly Scotch Eggs did not actually originate in Scotland! It is thought that the recipe developed outside of Scotland perhaps in India or North Africa.

To celebrate St Andrew’s Day why not be brave and try one of these dishes for the first time! We recommend Haggis, neeps and tatties with a glass of whisky for the real Scottish experience!

Let us know at Kings Tutors what you will be doing to celebrate.