The following is a list of some of the supreme buttery, lardy gems I have been exposed to in Aberdeen so far:
Stovies
Some sort of random dish that is basically a bunch of leftovers with more fat cooked together. It is generally tatties, (pronounced ta’ies—don’t make the mistake of pronouncing the t’s like you are saying ‘tatty’. It doesn’t go down well), something called ‘drippings’ (fat, leftover from a pot roast or something), meat, probably extra lard and a dash of butter with lots of gravy.
Butteries/Rowies
The ladies that I work with (who claim true Aberdonian identity) say that they are not called butteries, they should be called Rowies. However, I think a lot of people know them as butteries so I will put that name in. It is also very apt because of the amount of butter and lard (yes, lard) contained in them, as well as salt. They are kind of like a chewier, saltier, harder croissant, and people here really go to town with them and put on more butter, and sometimes jam. I’ve tried one once and they are okay. But I would never really have a craving for a salty croissant.
Beef Olives
Are steak wrapped balls of oatmeal cooking in drippings and fat. Then you cook all that together with some extra gravy. Served with mash. I’m ashamed to say that I love these.
Mince and Tatties
I had never seen mince like this before until I arrived in Scotland. Though we usually say ‘ground beef’ in Canada, I do know what mince means. However, I was unprepared for the brown gelatinous substance that was the Scottish version of mince. I cannot bring myself to try this dish. It just puts me off too much.
I saw a man on the news when we had the giant snowstorm in Aberdeen. He wasn’t able to leave his house because he was quite old and couldn’t get out and about as easily (probably because NO ONE SHOVELS THEIR WALK). Anyway, they were asking him how he got on, without being able to go to the grocery store and get food etc. He said “Och, it isnae been bad. But I dinna ken that I would have been able to gae on much longer. My neighbours have been to git me some tatties and that. But I dinnae ken what I was becoming—I was having tae eat things like pasta, and rice”. Okay, firstly, I apologise for my terrible typed Scottish accent. Secondly, what would eating rice and pasta turn you into? It doesn’t make you not Scottish to eat other things besides mince and tatties!
Although there are many things in Scotland that I do enjoy eating. Cullen Skink for example is one of my favourite new soups (I have become OBSESSED with the variety of soups here by the way! They really know how to do them well). Cullen Skink is really just a sort of fish stew or chowder made with haddock. Cullen is not too far from where I am, so I feel like I am eating like a local (yes, I am such a tourist!).
Also, I know Marks & Spencers is incredibly overpriced but I need to write a love letter to them. Their food is deliciously amazing, their ready-meals (basically already prepared dinners) sometimes tastier than the real thing, and often if I am looking for something super random that I could find in Toronto, they would have it at Markies.
And one more thing before I peace out of this post—the chocolate here is luxurious. Now, you can find the good chocolate here, with a lot of cocoa, just like you can in Toronto. What I am talking about is the cheap stuff. The milky buttons, the Time Out’s, the milky bars, caramac’s, etc. Even the chocolate bars we get in Canada as well taste different here. Seriously, the Brits do good junk food.
Now, back to this banning butter thing...I'm not sure it's possible in Scotland.
