Edible Edinburgh

I had no idea what to expect in regards to Scottish cuisine. My mom (love and miss you) mentioned that they would probably eat more heavy meals, such as stews, potatoes, and green vegetables. My own curiosity got the best of me and I began googling "traditional Scottish food"...next thing I knew it was an hour later and I had a list of tasty yet repulsive foods (you'll see, soon) that I was ready to devour. So let's just jump right into it since I know you're only here to look at the pictures, anyways.

When Raph and I checked into our Airbnb, the owners left us each a water bottle and a Snickers. It's been so long since I've had American candy...I downed that bar in two bites. The water tasted like, well...water. It was nothing special, but since it was bottled in Scotland which I thought was kind of interesting? Oh yeah, before I forget! Here's a PSA for my American readers: they charge you for water at restaurants. So I beg of you to not take it for granted and to also think of me every time that refreshing liquid is placed in front of you, free of charge.

While on the topic of drinks, let's discuss scotch whisky. Did you know that only whisky produced in Scotland can be considered scotch? While I've never acquired a taste for this brown liquor, I couldn't resist trying it while in Scotland. I mean, "when in Rome"..right? Plus it seemed like something my professional inspiration, Don Draper, would consume. Raph and I partook in the Scottish Whisky Experience, along with shopped within the COUNTLESS whisky stores found throughout the city of Edinburgh. My final opinion on the drink is as followed:

1) I cannot drink it straight and refuse to ever do so (at least give a girl some ice)

2) I feel very classy when I drink it; I'm less of a 19 year old broke girl and more of a 40 year old professional lawyer with a thriving practice

3) When mixed with some ice and Coke, it's much better than my old favorite (Vodka Redbull)

4) I'll probably continue to choose Southern Comfort or Captain Morgan solely due to price

And the final drink I encountered while in Scotland was not necessarily of Scottish-authenticity, but rather the single-most "cliché white girl" thing I've ever consumed: a vodkaccino". I can't even make this stuff up, guys. During a late-night bar crawl, Raph and I befriended a pair of German siblings named Rebecca and Oliver. Oliver and I hung out together through 6 of the 7 bars...where he ended up buying a vodkaccino for us to share. Yes...HE chose it. Boys, take notes! For anyone who has had the pleasure of tasting a double-chocolatechip frappuccino from Starbucks, it tasted exactly like that but somehow better because it has chocolate vodka in it? I'm really hoping this blog becomes famous enough that one of the bar owners at OU (I'm looking at you, Crystal) will start making these yummy, yet dangerous, drinks.

Of course, I couldn't survive on only drinks during my stay in Edinburgh. In fact, I went a little overboard on food while I was here. But I'll just give you a rundown on my favorites.

The first night, I had mincemeat pie. Basically, it was a chicken pot pie but a beef-pot pie? It came with a thick gravy, peas, and french fries (known here as chips). I would 10/10 recommend this and my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Raph and I were too preoccupied with climbing Arthur's Seat to be foodies the second day. However, we did manage to find a really cute restaurant outside of town that served amazing fish and chips! It was one of those dishes that we actively saught out, since we were in the UK and all. The downside? The portions were so tiny. Spoken like a true American, huh? What you see below is more than what you typically receive...we made sure to ask for extra.

On our last day in Edinburgh, we visited a local street market for breakfast/lunch. I passed up on the whisky macarons and took a more adventurous and Scottish option: haggis. This meal took a lot of time for me to mentally prepare for. "What is haggis?" Well...I'm glad you asked. It's a 'savory pudding' (if that doesn't throw you off, the next part will) made of a sheep's HEART, LIVER, and LUNGS. Some oatmeal, onions, spices, and suet (raw beef fat) are added to the sheep pluck, for flavor. Wrap it all up in the sheep's stomach and there you have it! Luckily, my haggis was additionally wrapped in a layer of dough...which made it easier to look at. Despite stopping numerous times to question my sanity and why exactly I purchased this meal...I ate the entire thing and loved it! If you have the guts (no pun intended) give it a try.

Our final foodie attempt in Edinburgh was to visit a pretty famous restaurant named Mum's. They are known for their traditional Scottish comfort food, so we knew we'd be eating good. Boy, were we right! While Raph stuck with a more conservative burger, I opted for yet another authentic meal: sausage and mash. In fact, I had jalapeño and cheese pork sausage ontop of cheese and onion mash, all topped with a hearty layer of caramelized onion gravy. I literally licked the plate clean...in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

Despite being full to the point of sickness, I obviously had to order dessert. I decided to try Cranachan, which is a traditional Scottish dessert made from combining whisky, whipped cream, honey, fresh raspberries, and whisky-soaked oatmeal. Mum's even topped it off with some delicious homemade shortbread (another VERY Scottish dessert of which I ate four boxes of during my stay). I forced myself (one of those hurts-so-good type of pains) to eat 3/4 of it before finally declaring a loss in my own version of Man Vs. Food.

Overall, Scottland had some of the weirdest cuisine I've yet to encounter. However, it was also some of the best. The food made me question who I am: "will I ever be able to order a whisky neat?"... "why did I enjoy consuming sheep organs and now constantly crave it?"..."does drinking a vodkacinno make me the most basic bitch to ever live?"..."why did I not finish that dessert?"