Scottish meals and customs
MEALS AND CUSTOMS
It has been said that the best Scottish meals are breakfast and tea. But
those who have enjoyed fine black Angus beef or rich Scottish salmon may
well have a quarrel. And though there has long been a Scottish
superstition (especially in the north) against shell-fish and seafood as
"the lice of the sea," many Scots do enjoy locally caught shrimps,
mussels, winkles, crab, and lobster. But those persisting in the old
beliefs hold that salmon, cod, haddock, or herring can't be beaten for a
fine meal.
Generally Scots prefer a few simple good dishes for a meal rather than
many courses and elaborate service. What they lose in variations they make
up in hearty servings. Scottish hospitality is legendary: no one leaves a
table hungry no matter how simple the fare.
A Scottish breakfast will likely include oatmeal porridge made from finely
milled, unrolled oats and served with cool milk or cream. Traditionally
each spoon of hot porridge is dipped in milk to cool it. Toast with
butter, preserves, and a cup of tea complete the meal. More elaborate
breakfasts may include a fish dish, bacon, assorted cheeses and tea
breads.
The noon dinner often consists of a hearty meat and vegetable soup, a dessert of steamed pudding, custard or baked bread pudding and tea.
Often the highlight of the day will be the tea served in the late
afternoon at about five-thirty. Here will be the display of breads and
cakes, preserves and marmalades that Scotland is famed for: baps,
bannocks, scones, tarts, and buns all served with strong tea, milk and
sugar. Chops or sausages with eggs or a dish of sole, kippers, or salmon
may accompany the tea.
Perhaps because the late afternoon tea is so special, the evening meal is
usually light and includes only one course: either sausages, bacon, chops
with eggs and a garnish of peas or a mashed vegetable combination dish
served with a glass of buttermilk. In humbler homes, the evening supper
may be just a bowl of hot porridge made of oats or barley and served with
milk.