The Scottish Borders is justly proud of the high quality, fresh local produce used by chefs and bakers across the region to produce a variety of mouth-watering masterpieces that are guaranteed to provide some of many memorable experiences you will encounter during your stay here.
A national initiative that the Borders has embraced with enthusiasm; it aims to improve the standard of food and cooking in all eating out establishments by encouraging the increased use of fresh local ingredients. Many local chefs, cooks and proprietors have attended detailed seminars so keep your eyes open for their Certificates of Commitment to using the Flavours of the Borders and expect a quality taste of the area.
Border Specialities
Look out for local delicacies while out shopping and dining. Borders butchers have a treasure trove of much-loved favourites including the spicy, meaty haggis - the Borders can proudly boast two champion haggis-makers - black pudding and fruit pudding (an oatmeal and dried fruit 'sausage' which can be fried with the bacon and eggs for breakfast).
Smoked salmon is also exceptionally good in the Scottish Borders. Several makers produce it to their own particular cure and almost all will smoke your own freshly caught salmon for you to take home. Be sure to visit the Teviot Smokery near Kelso with its garden, tea room and smoke house, that has a wide range of smoked products for sale including chicken, eel, salmon, and trout.
Traditional Dishes:
You may also be able to try some traditional home-made specialities whilst in the Borders. Scots are renowned for their expertise at soup-making and some of these warming dishes to expect include;
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Feather Fowlie and Friar's Chicken (both versions of chicken soup)
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Cullen Skink (creamy smoked haddock)
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Partan Bree (from the Gaelic for crab, parton)
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The famous Cock-a-Leekie with leeks, prunes and chicken
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Tweed Kettle is a soup-stew, a delicate blend of fresh salmon, white wine and herbs, often served with hot girdle (or griddle) scone.
The humble vegetable often plays its part in our culinary heritage. Rumbledethumps is a local dish of rumbled (mixed) and thumped (bashed together) potatoes, cabbage and butter while stovies make a hearty meal of gently cooked potatoes with butter, enriched with onions or meat and gravy.
For the Sweet-toothed
Scots have always had a reputation as bakers and cake-makers and some traditional favourites that visitors should look out for include Cloutie dumpling, a large boiled fruit pudding cooked in a floured cloth or 'clout', delicious with creamy custard or eaten as a piece of moist cake, or it can also be fried with the breakfast bacon Black bun, traditionally only made for Hogmanay but due to new found popularity south of the Border it is now available all year from some Border's bakers - a rich yeast crust encloses a moist mixture of raisins, currants, almonds and brandy Border and Eyemouth tarts, perfect as a rich tea time treat. A light pastry case is packed with dried fruits and cooked in a moist sugar and egg mixture
The Borders Selkirk Bannocks make the perfect souvenir. Marcel Proust had his madeleines to bring back happy thoughts. Visitors to the Scottish Borders have their own way of savouring tasty memories.
The Selkirk Bannock has graced many a Borders tea table over the years. Its combination of bread dough, fruit butter and sugar is a classic, and is as popular now as it ever was. Try a slice with butter in village teashops or go for a whole one to yourself at most Borders bakeries.
For the very sweet-toothed (as the Scots invariably are) there are many local variations on the boiled sweet theme. Look out for Soor Plooms (Galashiels), Berwick Cockles, Hawick Balls and Jethart Snails (Jedburgh).