From haggis to fudge – the delicious Secret Edinburgh Food Tour
Edinburgh is a bustling city with a rich history and plenty of hidden gems. If you want to explore the city’s food scene, then this secret Edinburgh Food Tour is for you. From traditional Scottish dishes to mouth-watering desserts, this tour will tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more. So, what are you waiting for? The Secret Food Tour in Edinburgh ticks all the boxes.
Food tours are my favourite activity when I travel. You get to try the local cuisine and learn about the city, its history, main attractions and so much more. As an added bonus you can get top tips on the best places to eat that only the locals know about. That’s how I heard about where to eat caracoles (aka snails) in Seville a speciality that has a very short season in Spain.
We met our guide, Skye, at a central point on the Royal Mile and soon set off to sample Edinburgh’s delicious food. Did you know that there are angels with bagpipes in the city? No, really! That was just one of the interesting bits of information Skye shared with us. It was fascinating to learn about so much of Edinburgh’s history of which I knew very little.
Traditional Cullen Skink: A Scottish Classic
The first stop on the tour was actually the “secret” stop. It was a stylish gastro-style pub. Everything is freshly made each day and only the best ingredients are used. First on the menu was Cullen Skink, an odd name that comes from the Gaelic word “Essence”.
The soup is named after the fishing village of Cullen, in Moray, on Scotland’s northeast coast.
Cullen skink is a thick Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions. It is thick, creamy and has a smoky flavour from the haddock. It is traditionally served with oatcakes or bread.
As we walked around the city Skye pointed out landmarks, shared Harry Potter trivia and told us more of the darker side of the history of Edinburgh.
Haggis, neeps, and tatties: the Scottish dish you have to try
Haggis, neeps and tatties (mashed potato) is a traditional Scottish dish that is eaten all over Scotland. You may be wondering what neeps are. It is not a word that I have heard used much outside of Scotland so let me explain.
Neeps are also known as swede, rutabaga, yellow turnip or Swedish turnip around the world. If you cook them slowly for a couple of hours the colour changes to deep orange and the flavour deepens and becomes sweeter.
What exactly is haggis?
Haggis also needs a bit of explanation. People naturally shy away from tasting it when they hear what goes into it, but trust me, it is delicious. Like most things, there is good haggis and bad haggis and the one we tasted on the secret Edinburgh food tour was outstanding. It was filled with the flavour of warm spice and was thoroughly enjoyable. It came with gravy on the side that had a deep tangy flavour. I might add I am not a gravy fan, but this one was delicious.
Haggis is a dish that historically was made by hunters. Once they had killed an animal they would use the heart, liver and lungs all minced together and use the cleaned stomach to cook it in. Oatmeal, spices, seasoning and suet are added to the mix before cooking. This is a great example of nose-to-tail eating.
The end result is a delicious coarse crumbly sausage-like meat dish. Today, it is often served as a traditional Scottish meal on Burns Night (a holiday honouring the poet Robert Burns).
Be daring and try it. You might just find that you enjoy it.
Farmhouse Ice cream anyone?
Who doesn’t love ice cream? I am addicted to the good stuff. Next, we made our way to the “police box” ice cream stand. The luxury ice cream is produced within the Scottish borders. The farm has its own organic hens that provide the eggs for the ice cream and are totally free-range. They produce beautiful brown eggs which taste amazing.
The milk and cream used in the production come from cows on the farm. It is also organic and results in a rich, creamy, smooth and indulgent unique ice cream.
There is a wide range of flavours to choose from, which change constantly. Season fruit and berries feature prominently. Everything about the ice cream is natural, much like good artisanal gelato in Italy.
I recommend the single malt and raspberry. It was divine!
Sample the best whisky on the Secret Edinburgh Food Tour
No food tour in Edinburgh would be complete without a whisky tasting. We tasted Tomatin whisky which was a brand that I had never heard of. Whisky is a complex drink with a large number of rules that govern what you can and can’t do when you produce it.
Some are blended while others are called single malt. In Scotland, single malt whisky is a whisky that is made at a single distillery from water and malted barley. Single malt whiskies are typically aged in oak casks for at least three years.
So raise your glass and say cheers, or Slàinte Mhath (Pronounced Slanj-a-va) as they say in Scotland.
Fudge: The Sweetest Treat Around?
There is something wonderful about the smell of fudge being made. It is that deep, rich caramel aroma as the sugar changes form into a treat that I just can’t get enough of.
For me, the best fudge melts in your mouth. It is made with love and good quality ingredients. We were lucky enough to watch a batch being made. The alchemy begins in a copper cauldron, like a witch’s brew. When it reaches the optimum temperature of 238 degrees F it is poured out onto a special table to cool. Then the hard work starts. The molten mass is flipped over and over with a paddle until the “fudge master” decides it looks like the right consistency.
Then we were given tasters. Oh my, heaven in each bite. There are loads of flavours so you are spoilt for choice. The bonus is that you are given a discount on the tour which makes buying some fudge or in my case quite a lot, even more attractive.
Join the debate with a cup of tea and scones
There’s nothing quite like a scone with a cup of tea. We ended the tour at a hip café and were offered a choice of savoury or sweet scones. Scones are commonly made either plain, with raisins and sultanas or with cheese added to them. Then the debate started…….
You may well be wondering what there is to debate after all you are just eating a small cake with a bit of jam and cream. Oh no, it is not quite that simple. Do you put jam on first then cream or is it the other way around? It might be silly to some but it is a debate that has divided afternoon tea lovers forever. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the cream is usually “clotted” ( thickened).
I grew up putting jam on first, then cream. To me, that is the only way that makes sense. This is the preferred way to enjoy scones in Cornwall, England. If you prefer the reverse method that originates in Devon, England.
Then there is another controversy about how you say the word scone. Following etiquette, the correct pronunciation of scone is ‘skon’, to rhyme with ‘gone’, rather than ‘skone’ to rhyme with ‘bone’. All this fuss about a tea cake!
Finally, never eat a scone as a sandwich! It should be cut in half and enjoyed with your favourite blend of tea.
The Secret Edinburgh food tour was delicious and a great way to try new foods. The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and the food was amazing. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great way to experience Scottish cuisine.
Disclosure: My thanks to the Secret Edinburgh Food tour for hosting me and for a wonderful afternoon of delicious food. As usual, all views expressed are my own.
If you would like to book the best food tour in Edinburgh head over to the Secret food tour website. The tour costs £69 per person. There is also an option to include an upgraded drinks package.
More to read
Need a reminder? Pin it!
