What makes breakfast the best meal of the day - that's easy, it's dishes like the classic fry up.
And while it's commonly known in these parts as the "full English breakfast", there are actually a few regional variations. Today as you travel around Blighty's great nation you can tuck into the English breakfast, Welsh Breakfast, Ulster Fry and last but not least - the full Scottish breakfast.
And there's a method behind the madness, too; it's the quality of the ingredients - rather than the way they are prepared - that take centre stage in the Scottish breakfast. So next time you're out exploring Scotland's many hills and castles, don't forget to fuel up at your hotel in Aberdeen with a full Scottish breakfast.
The starting line up
Eggs - The most common way to get your eggs with a full Scottish breakfast is fried or poached, though a good eatery should prepare them for you any way you like. If you're making this at home but aren't necessarily a legend in the kitchen, use this simple tip for making the perfect boiled egg. Drop your egg into simmering hot water and stir occasionally. For the perfect medium boiled egg throw on Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - when the song is done, so is your snack.
Black pudding - It's a food that divides families; some love it, some loathe it. At first glance, black pudding might seem an extravagant dish, but it's actually the opposite - not wanting to waste any part of the pig, in the olden days peasants preserved the blood, mixed it vigorously with cereal, poured it into the intestines, then tied and stored it to be cooked and eaten later. Scots will argue that the best black pudding in the world comes from Stornaway in the north of the country. Try some and you might agree.
Sausage - Unlike our neighbours to the north, the traditional full Scottish breakfast features sliced sausage (called Lorne sausage) rather than sausage links - seasoned pork meat is set into a square and sliced then grilled or fried to perfection. Delicious.
Bacon - No cooked breakfast would be complete without back bacon and the Full Scottish is no exception. Today bacon of different cuts and cures is readily available at both the butcher's and grocers - but did you know that wasn't always the case? Until the industrial revolution bacon was typically only prepared once a year at Martinmas - the date that marked the first slaughter of pigs.
Haggis - What Robert Burns called "great chieftan o' the puddin' race" is the stuff of legends - literally. Many travellers are lead to believe a haggis is a small animal when they land on the shores of Scotland, but actually, it's a savoury pudding made with sheep's pluck (that's heart, liver and lungs) along with minced onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, all mixed together with stock and then packed into sausage casing.
Grilled Veg - It might be difficult to believe, but meat isn't the only food group that features in the full Scottish breakfast. Like the traditional English fry up, grilled mushroom and tomato also regularly make an appearance on the plate.
Baked beans - Though they're called 'baked beans', believe it or not, despite the name they're usually stewed in that savoury-sweet sauce that makes them such a favourite with diners of all ages.
Toast - So simple, so essential. No breakfast would be complete without a nice crunchy piece of toast smothered in creamy butter.
So from hotels in Edinburgh all the way up to hotels in Aberdeen make sure to try the full Scottish breakfast to get you going in the morning.
Do you prefer the full English or full Scottish breakfast?
About The Author:
Catherine Halsey writes about a broad range of topics including touring around Scotland. She has found staying at hotels in Aberdeen is a great base to explore the northern reaches of Scotland.
Image Credits:
eisaru
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