What is the national dish of Scotland?
Sausage
Haggis is generally recognized as the national dish, although not described as a sausage. A popular breakfast food is the square sausage. This is normally eaten as part of a full Scottish breakfast or on a Scottish morning roll. The sausage is produced in a rectangular block and individual portions are sliced off. It is seasoned mainly with pepper. It is rarely seen outside Scotland and in fact is still fairly uncommon in the Highlands. Other types of sausage include black pudding, similar to the German and Polish blood sausages. Stornoway black pudding is held in high regard and measures are currently being taken to bring it under EU geographical protection. Additionally a popular native variety of sausage is the red pudding. It is usually served in chip shops, deep fried in batter and with chips as a red pudding supper.
Slovenian cuisine
Soups are a relatively recent invention in Slovenian cuisine, but there are over 100. Earlier there were various kinds of porridge, stew and one-pot meals. The most common soups without meat were lean and plain. A typical dish is "aleluja", a soup made from turnip peels and a well-known dish during fasting. The most common meat soup is beef soup with noodles, which is often served on Sunday as part of a Sunday lunch (beef soup, fried potatoes, fried steak and lettuce). On feast days and holidays there is often a choice of beef noodle soup or creamy mushroom soup.
Pork is popular and common everywhere in Slovenia. Poultry is also often popular. There is a wide variety of meats in different parts of Slovenia. In White Carniola and the Slovenian Littoral mutton and goat are eaten. On St. Martin's Day people feast on roasted goose, duck, turkey, or chicken paired with red cabbage and mlinci. In Lower Carniola and Inner Carniola, they used to eat roasted dormouse and quail. Until the crayfish plague in the 1880s the noble crayfish was a source of income and often on the menu in Lower Carniola and Inner Carniola.
Drob
In the world there are a few dishes similar to lamb drob, yet the best known is the Scottish haggis. One of the main differences between these foods is that haggis is boiled in the stomach of the sheep and doesn't contain a large amount of herbs like the Romanian one.
Scotland
Whisky is one of Scotland's more known goods of economic activity. Exports increased by 87% in the decade to 2012 and were valued at £4.3 billion in 2013, which was 85% of Scotland's food and drink exports. It supports around 10,000 jobs directly and 25,000 indirectly. It may contribute £400–682 million to Scotland, rather than several billion pounds, as more than 80% of whisky produced is owned by non-Scottish companies.
Wild haggis
Wild haggis (given the humorous taxonomic designation "Haggis scoticus") is a fictional creature of Scottish folklore, said to be native to the Scottish Highlands. It is comically claimed to be the source of haggis, a traditional Scottish dish that is in fact made from the innards of sheep (including heart, lungs, and liver).
Scotland national rugby union team
The thistle is the national flower, and also the symbol of the Scotland national rugby union team. According to legend the "guardian thistle" has played its part in the defence of Scotland against a night attack by Norwegian Vikings, one of whom let out a yell of pain when he stepped barefoot on a thistle, alerting the Scottish defenders. The Latin Nemo me impune lacessit ("No-one provokes me with impunity!" in English) is an ancient motto of the Kings of Scotland, and also of Scotland's premier chivalric order, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, and of the Scots Guards (the latter both "belonging" to the monarch).
National symbols of Catalonia
The ""botifarra amb mongetes"" (local sausage with beans) is perhaps the most representative Catalan dish. Other representative Catalan cuisine dishes are the "faves a la catalana", prepared with tender broad beans and botifarra, "escudella i carn d'olla", "esqueixada", "escalivada", and finally "pa amb tomàquet", as well as the "embotits" that are eaten along with it.
Bosnian Pot
Bosnian Pot (Bosanski Lonac) is a Bosnian stew, a culinary speciality appreciated for its rich taste and flexibility. Recipes for Bosanski lonac vary greatly according to personal and regional preference, but the main ingredients generally include chunked meat and vegetables. Mixed meats may be used in the dish. It has been described as a national dish of Bosnia.
Skirlie
Skirlie is a Scottish dish, made from oatmeal fried with fat, onions and seasonings. The "skirl" indicates the noise made by the frying ingredients. Similar to white pudding, which has similar ingredients but is boiled in a tripe skin, it is served as a side-dish with potatoes, or used as a stuffing for chicken or other fowl. It is also a common side dish to accompany mince and tatties or christmas dinner, especially in the northeast of Scotland. Suet, lard, beef dripping or butter are used. The addition of salt at the cooking stage is crucial, but a bit less than used to be added as salt is to be found in so many other foods.
Black pudding
In the United Kingdom, black pudding is especially associated with the Black Country, the West Midlands, Scotland, and the North West of England: it is considered a particular delicacy in Stornoway and in Lancashire, notably in towns such as Bury, where it is traditionally boiled and served with malt vinegar out of paper wrapping. It was also found in Yorkshire, where black puddings were flavoured with lemon thyme and savory: Barnsley black puddings were particularly well-known. The Stornoway black pudding, made in the Western Isles of Scotland, has been granted Protected Geographical Indicator of Origin status. In the wake of this designation, butchers in Bury sought to demonstrate their history of manufacturing and selling the product. One such claim dates back to 1810. Having been brought there by emigrants, black pudding is now part of the local cuisine of the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Black pudding is also widely available in supermarkets and butchers' shops in Australia and New Zealand, although is not as popular as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
British cuisine
Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It shares much with English cuisine, but has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own. Traditional Scottish dishes such as haggis and shortbread exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration. Scotland is known for the high quality of its beef, lamb, potatoes, oats, and sea foods. In addition to foodstuffs, Scotland produces a variety of whiskies.
Cuisine of the Southern United States
Fried chicken is among the region's best-known exports. It is believed that the Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. Pork is an integral part of the cuisine. Stuffed ham is served in Southern Maryland. A traditional holiday get-together featuring whole hog barbecue is known in Virginia and the Carolinas as a "pig pickin'". Green beans are often flavored with bacon and salt pork, turnip greens are stewed with pork and served with vinegar, ham biscuits (biscuits cut in half with slices of salt ham served between the halves) often accompany breakfast, and ham with red-eye gravy or country gravy is a common dinner dish.
Culture of Costa Rica
One national dish is "gallo pinto" ("spotted rooster"), although the name has no relation to the ingredients. It is a combination of black beans and white rice, spiced with cilantro, onions, garlic, salt, and a local condiment called "Salsa Lizano". It is typically eaten at breakfast with eggs, and sometimes "natilla" (sour cream). Fried plantains and either corn tortillas or bread are also common. "Gallo pinto" is a common and typical dish in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Christmas traditions
Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly, because the Church of Scotland – a Presbyterian Church – for various reasons never placed much emphasis on the Christmas festival; although in Catholic areas people would attend Midnight Mass or early morning Mass before going to work. This tradition derives from the Church of Scotland's origins including St Columba's monastic tradition, under which every day is God's day and there is none more special than another. (Thus Good Friday is not an official public holiday in Scotland.); the Kirk and the state being closely linked in Scotland during the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period.
Christmas Day was commonly a normal working day in Scotland until the 1960s, and even into the 1970s in some areas. The New Year's Eve festivity, Hogmanay, was by far the largest celebration in Scotland. The gift-giving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter were traditionally held between December 11 and January 6. However, since the 1980s, the fading of the Church's influence and the increased influences from the rest of the UK and elsewhere, Christmas and its related festivities are now nearly on a par with Hogmanay and "Ne'erday". The capital city of Edinburgh now has a traditional German Christmas market from late November until Christmas Eve and on the first Sunday in Advent a nativity scene is blessed by the Cardinal Archbishop in the main square. On Christmas Day, people sometimes make big bonfires and dance around them to the playing of bagpipes. Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally eaten at Christmas.
Golf in Scotland
Scotland is widely promoted as the "Home of Golf," and along with whisky and the long list of Scottish inventions and discoveries, golf is widely seen as being a key national cultural icon throughout the world. It is frequently used to market the country to potential visitors, for example for the Homecoming year in 2009, and golf tourism accounted for approximately 2% of overall Scottish tourism spending in 2004. One page that explains the history of golf in Scotland starts off by stating that, "There has been much debate as to the origins of the game and, in some cases, how it was originally played. One thing is certain — the game of golf as we know it was born in Scotland".
Hot dog variations
The "Iceland Monitor" writes that "locals, expatriates and holiday-makers alike must all be familiar with Iceland’s national dish – hot-dogs with all the trimmings (‘pylsa með öllu’ in Icelandic). The hot-dog sausage is served in bread and liberally accompanied with fried onion, raw onion, mustard, ketchup and remoulade (a cold sauce made with mayonnaise and various condiments and herbs). This delicious snack is traditionally washed down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola."
National symbols of Scotland
The national symbols of Scotland are flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Scotland or Scottish culture. As a rule, these national symbols are cultural icons that have emerged from Scottish folklore and tradition, meaning few have any official status. However, most if not all maintain recognition at a national or international level, and some, such as the Royal Arms of Scotland, have been codified in heraldry, and are established, official and recognised symbols of Scotland.See also the 16 people in the Hall of Heroes at the Wallace Monument in Stirling.
National symbols of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
The national dish of Ireland is the Irish stew; other national dishes include the full Irish breakfast/Ulster fry and bacon and cabbage.
Štruklji
Štruklji are a traditional Slovene dish, composed of dough and various types of filling. The dish comes in the form of rolls, which can be either cooked or baked, and can have a wide range of fillings. Štruklji has been traditionally reserved for special occasions, but is now one of the most characteristic everyday dishes in households all across Slovenia. It is closely related to Zagorski Štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish.
National anthem of Scotland
In June 2006 the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted an online opinion poll on their website, asking visitors to choose a favourite to be Scotland's national anthem. With over 10,000 votes cast, "Flower of Scotland" came first with 41% of the votes, followed by "Scotland the Brave" with 29%.
Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats
In the United Kingdom this confection is known as a chocolate teacake,
though it is entirely unlike the usual English teacake, a sweet roll with dried fruit which is served toasted and buttered. Teacakes are generally served in the afternoon alongside a traditional British 'cuppa'. There are several manufacturers of chocolate teacakes in the UK, though the best known is Tunnock's, a Scottish company founded in 1890. It was invented by Boyd Tunnock in 1956. He developed the idea of using Italian meringue. He made a biscuit base, hand piped the mallow onto the base and covered it in milk chocolate. The Tunnock's teacake is commonly regarded in the same food category as the British biscuit, eaten at break times with a cup of tea as shown in advertising for the product.
Popular throughout the UK, the Tunnock's Teacake enjoys iconic status in Scotland, evoking memories of childhood, or symbolising "home" for Scots around the world. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service gives Tunnock's Teacakes to blood donors in Scotland after giving blood. There is an online appreciation society for the Tunnock's Teacake and Dundee University also has an appreciation society for the Tunnocks Teacake. A giant fully edible replica of a Tunnocks Teacake was made by Michelle Kershaw and Nick Dodds at "Pimp That Snack". The opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow featured giant dancing Tunnocks Teacakes.
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum incorporates the collections of the former National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. As well as the national collections of Scottish archaeological finds and medieval objects, the museum contains artefacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. The 16 new galleries reopened in 2011 include 8,000 objects, 80 per cent of which were not formerly on display. One of the more notable exhibits is the stuffed body of Dolly the sheep, the first successful clone of a mammal from an adult cell. Other highlights include Ancient Egyptian exhibitions, one of Elton John's extravagant suits and a large kinetic sculpture named the Millennium Clock. A Scottish invention that is a perennial favourite with school parties is The Maiden, an early form of guillotine.
Scottish Americans
Scottish culture, food, and athletics are celebrated at Highland Games and Scottish festivals throughout North America. The largest of these occurs yearly at Pleasanton, California, Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina and Estes Park, Colorado. There are also other notable Scottish Festivals in cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma, Atlanta, Georgia (at Stone Mountain Park), San Antonio, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to traditional Scottish sports such as tossing the caber and the hammer throw, there are whisky tastings, traditional foods such as haggis, Bagpipes and Drums competitions, Celtic rock musical acts and traditional Scottish dance.
Culture of Jordan
The national dish in Jordan is mansaf, a dish that is associated with Bedouin traditions. Despite these rural roots, it is shared by Jordanians of many diverse backgrounds, not just Bedouins or those who can trace their ancestral lines back to Bedouins. The dish is composed of a bread called sherack, lamb meat, and yogurt (jameed). Recently, rice and nuts have been added to the dish, and some regions in Jordan add seasoning. It is served on a large, circular platter. The ingredients are combined to form several layers. The first layer is made of thin, unleavened bread, shredded and soaked in yogurt broth. Next is a layer of rice which covers the bread. Large chunks of lamb that have been simmered in the same type of yogurt broth are placed on top of the rice. The head of the lamb is placed in the center of the tray. Pine nuts, almonds, and parsley are sprinkled atop the meat and rice. The final step involves pouring a yogurt broth over the entire dish, which is then added periodically throughout the meal to keep the dish warm and moist. Traditionally, mansaf is eaten while sitting on the floor, using ones hands to eat from a large, circular communal tray. This tradition still persists, although in modern years, many people have taken to eating the dish with silverware. Most admit, however, that mansaf tastes better when eaten with the hand. The dish takes hours to prepare and thus is primarily served only on special occasions.
Karelian hot pot
The Karelian hot pot (British) or Karelian stew (US) ("karjalanpaisti" in Finnish) is a traditional meat stew originating from the region of Karelia. It is commonly prepared using a combination of pork and beef, but lamb can also be used. Along with the Karelian pasties ("karjalanpiirakat"), it is the most widely recognised Karelian food in Finland. In 2007, it was selected as the national dish of Finland by the readers of the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti. In similar poll organized by the ELO Foundation for the Promotion of Finnish Food Culture in cooperation with the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK and the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in autumn 2016, Karelian hot pot took second place, losing to rye bread.
Pancake
Pancakes (also called "Scotch pancakes" or "Scottish pancakes") are more like the American type. In parts of Scotland they are also referred to as "drop scones" or "dropped scones". They are made from flour, eggs, sugar, buttermilk or milk, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Smaller than American or English pancakes at about 3.5 in / 9 cm in diameter, they are made by the traditional method of dropping batter onto a griddle (a "girdle" in Northumberland or in Scots). They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter. In Scotland pancakes are generally served at teatime.
Scottish cuisine
In common with many mediaeval European neighbours, Scotland was a feudal state for a greater part of the second millennium. This put certain restrictions on what one was allowed to hunt, therefore to eat. In the halls of the great men of the realm, one could expect venison, boar, various fowl and songbirds, expensive spices (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc.), and the meats of domesticated species. From the journeyman down to the lowest cottar, meat was an expensive commodity, and would be consumed rarely. For the lower echelons of mediaeval Scots, it was the products of their animals rather than the beasts themselves which provided nourishment. This is evident today in traditional Scots fare, with its emphasis on dairy produce. It would appear that the average meal would consist of a pottage of herbs and roots (and when available some meat or stock for flavouring), with bread and cheese when possible.
Flæskesteg
Flæskesteg, ['flɛːskə.stɐ̯j] the Danish version of roast pork, is considered to be one of Denmark's principal national dishes. Always prepared with crackling, it is also a favourite for the Danish Christmas dinner served as the evening meal on 24 December or Christmas Eve.
Steak and oyster pie
Steak and oyster pie, also known as beef and oyster pie is a traditional Victorian English dish. It is also known in Australia and New Zealand. In Ireland, it has been prepared by the Ballymaloe House, and as a classic dish of the Ballymaloe Cookery School. In the United States, it's a regional dish of Norfolk, Virginia. There, neck, flank, round, or rump may be used. It is prepared in a Dutch oven, where it is slow-cooked until gelatinous. Steak and oyster pie may be made with bluff oysters, and may use brewed, alcoholic beverages, such as ales and stouts. This dish is also prepared by Rick Stein using Guinness beer.
Scottish pork taboo
Pork or swine’s flesh, in any shape, was, till of late years, much abominated by the Scotch, nor is it yet a favourite food amongst them. King Jamie carried this prejudice to England, and is known to have abhorred pork almost as much as he did tobacco.
Scott's remark that Ben Jonson "recorded" the king's aversion to pork in his masque "The Gipsies Metamorphosed", when the king has his hand read, is based on these words:
Oil down
Grenada's national dish is called "Oil down". It is a simple, delicious and robust dish, which is very popular in local restaurants. It's a hearty onepot meal of salted meat, chicken, dumplings, breadfruit, callaloo - made from young dasheen leaves and other vegetables. The whole thing is stewed in coconut milk, herbs and spices to add even more flavour.
Nova Scotia
The cuisine of Nova Scotia is typically Canadian with an emphasis on local seafood. One endemic dish (in the sense of "peculiar to" and "originating from") is the Halifax donair, a distant variant of the doner kebab prepared using thinly sliced beef meatloaf and a sweet condensed milk sauce. As well, hodge podge, a creamy soup of fresh baby vegetables, is native to Nova Scotia.
Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole or Sausage Toad is a traditional English and Scottish dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's kidney.
Flora of Scotland
The thistle has been one of the national emblem of the Scots nation since the reign of Alexander III (1249–1286) and was used on silver coins issued by James III in 1470. Today, it forms part of the emblem of the Scottish Rugby Union. As legend has it, an invading army had attempted to sneak up at night on the Scots. One, perhaps barefooted, unwelcome foreign soldier stumbled upon a Scots Thistle, and cried out in pain, thus alerting Scots to their presence. Some sources suggest the specific occasion was the Battle of Largs, which marked the beginning of the departure of the Viking monarch Haakon IV of Norway, who had harried the coast for some years. Spiky plants such as brambles appear to have been used around forts since time immemorial, so the story, whether it factually relates to the Haakon episode or not, likely is the culmination of more than one such event over time. In some variants, it is invading English which stumble on a thistle, but the story predates this time.
The Thistle
The Thistle is a Scottish ladies' solo step dance devised by Irene Fidler and published in 2007.
This elegant dance performed to a set of waltzes builds on a rich yet relatively little known tradition of Scottish step dancing as maintained within the frame of annual St. Andrew's Summer School of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
The flower of thistle is reported to have been the symbol of Scotland since 1470s.
Scotch woodcock
Scotch woodcock is a British savoury dish consisting of creamy, lightly-scrambled eggs served on toast that has been spread with anchovy paste or Gentleman's Relish, and sometimes topped with chopped herbs and black pepper. It is most often served as an hors d'oeuvre.
Callaloo
Callaloo (sometimes callalloo, calalloo, calaloo or kallaloo) is a popular Caribbean dish originating in West Africa served in different variants across the Caribbean. The main ingredient is a leaf vegetable, traditionally either amaranth (known by many local names, including "callaloo but not Spinach or "bhaaji"), taro (known by many local names, including "dasheeen bush" "callaloo bush" "callaloo" or "bush") or "Xanthosoma". known by many names, including "coco" & "tannia". Because the leaf vegetable used in some regions may be locally called "callaloo" or "callaloo bush" "Dasheen Leaves", some confusion can arise among the vegetables and with the dish itself. In Haiti, for example, the creole word "kalalou" refers to okra, and not to a leafy green. Outside of the Caribbean, water spinach is occasionally used. Trinidadians, Grenadians and Dominicans primarily use taro/dasheen bush for callaloo, although Dominicans also use water spinach. Jamaicans, Belizeans and Guyanese on the other hand use the name callaloo to refer to amaranth, and use it in a plethora of dishes and also a drink ('callaloo juice'). The 'callaloo' made in Jamaica is different from the 'callaloo' made in Trinidad and Tobago Grenada and rest of the Caribbean in terms of main ingredient (the leaf used) and other ingredients included (for example, Jamaicans tend to use only callaloo leaf, salt, onions, and scallions, and simply steam the vegetable, while Trinidadians use Callaloo leaves/ dasheen bush, ochro ,coconut milk, pumpkin, onions, bell peppers, local seasonings and spices along with crabs or pigtails to make a different richer dish with a totally different taste and consistency). "callaloo" in Trinidad is used in a variety of dishes including Callaloo soup "callaloo bhaji" two Trinidads specialities. Callaloo is the National Dish of the twin Island Republic of Trinidad and the Commonwealth of Dominica.Callaloo in Trinidad & Tobago and other eastern Caribbean countries is generally made with okra and dasheen or water spinach "Ipomoea aquatica". There are many variations of callaloo which may include coconut milk, crab, conch, Caribbean lobster, meats, pumpkin, chili peppers, and other seasonings such as chopped onions and garlic. The ingredients are added and simmered down to a somewhat stewlike consistency. When done, callaloo is dark green in colour and is served as a side dish which may be used as a gravy for other food.
Cookie
According to the Scottish National Dictionary, its Scottish name derives from the diminutive form (+ suffix "-ie") of the word "cook", giving the Middle Scots "cookie", "cooky" or "cu(c)kie". It also gives an alternative etymology: like the American word, from the Dutch "koekje", the diminutive of "koek", a cake. There was much trade and cultural contact across the North Sea between the Low Countries and Scotland during the Middle Ages, which can also be seen in the history of curling and, perhaps, golf.
King Rib
King Rib is an item of food commonly served in fish and chips shops in Scotland and Northern England.
Despite its name, it is actually a sweetened patty of minced pork that is fried or deep-fried and often available as a "supper" combination meal, i.e. with chips.
Escargot
Escargots, , (French for snails) are a delicacy consisting of cooked edible land snails. They are often served as an hors d'oeuvre and consumed by the French people, as well as people from Portugal, Sardinia, and Spain. They are also a typical of the cuisines of Catalonia, Crete, and Greece, as well as such North African countries as Algeria and Morocco. The word "escargot" is also sometimes applied to living examples of those species which are commonly eaten in this way. In British English, the menu item is usually referred to simply as snails.
Scotland
National newspapers such as the "Daily Record", "The Herald", "The Scotsman" and "The National" are all produced in Scotland. Important regional dailies include the Evening News in Edinburgh, "The Courier" in Dundee in the east, and "The Press and Journal" serving Aberdeen and the north. Scotland is represented at the Celtic Media Festival, which showcases film and television from the Celtic countries. Scottish entrants have won many awards since the festival began in 1980.
Republic of Macedonia
Famous for its rich Šopska salad, an appetiser and side dish which accompanies almost every meal, Macedonian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of its dairy products, wines, and local alcoholic beverages, such as rakija. Tavče Gravče and mastika are considered the national dish and drink of the Republic of Macedonia, respectively.
Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka masala is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken (chicken tikka) in a spiced curry sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. There are multiple claims to its place of origin, including the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent or Glasgow in Scotland. It is among the United Kingdom's most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was "a true British national dish".
Scotch (adjective)
Scotch is an adjective meaning "of Scotland". The modern usage in Scotland is Scottish or Scots, and the word "Scotch" is only applied to specific products, mostly food or drink, such as Scotch whisky, Scotch pie, Scotch broth, and Scotch eggs. "Scotch" applied to people is widely considered pejorative in Scotland, reflecting old Anglo-Scottish antagonisms, but it is still occasionally used in England and Ireland, though the usage is considered old-fashioned.
Oatcake
Queen Elizabeth II typically has Scottish oatcakes for breakfast and Walkers Oatcakes carry a Royal Warrant. British Prime Minister David Cameron named Scottish oatcakes as his favourite cake.
Scottish cuisine
Scotland's natural larder of game, dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the chief factor in traditional Scots cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and a lack of spices from abroad, as these were historically rare and expensive.
Shortbread
Shortbread is generally associated with and originated in Scotland, but due to its popularity it is also made in the remainder of the United Kingdom, and similar biscuits are also made in Denmark, Ireland and Sweden. The Scottish version is the best-known, and Walkers Shortbread is Scotland's largest food exporter.
Haggis pakora
The dish appears to have been the creation of the Sikh community, which has retained its identity while embracing many aspects of Scottish culture.
Haggis pakoras have become popular appetizers in Indian restaurants in Scotland, where they appeal to the national predilection for deep-fried food.
In 2013 it was reported that a Greenock meat products company had launched prepared haggis pakoras.
The product had won the Best Innovative Product prize at the BPEX Foodservice Awards 2013.
Prepared haggis pakoras are available from supermarkets.
The Scottish celebrity chef Tony Singh served haggis pakora at a pop-up restaurant during the 2015 Edinburgh Festival.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has a long history in Scottish culinary tradition because oats are better suited than wheat to the country's low temperatures and high humidity. As a result, oats became the staple grain of Scotland. The ancient universities of Scotland had a holiday called Meal Monday to permit students to return to their farms and collect more oats for food.
Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight
The event involves over 200 miniature events across Scotland, each designed to showcase a different aspect of Scotland's cuisine. These include food festivals, farmers' markets, street parties, celebrity cookery shows, cooking demonstrations and tasting events. Tourists and people across Scotland are encouraged to try new foods made in Scotland, find out about local Scottish producers, learn about the history of Scottish cuisine, showcase new dishes and host traditional Scottish dinners and parties to celebrate the wide variety of Scottish food available.
Cawl
With recipes dating back to the fourteenth century, cawl is widely considered to be the national dish of Wales. Cawl was traditionally eaten during the winter months in the south-west of Wales. Today, the word is often used to refer to a dish containing lamb and leeks, due to their association with Welsh culture, but historically it was made with either salted bacon or beef, along with swedes, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. With the introduction of the potato into the European diet in the latter half of the 16th century, it - too - would become a core ingredient in the recipe.
Scotland's Winter Festival
Winter has always been an important time in the Scottish calendar, encompassing many cultural events and historical traditions, such as Halloween and Beltane - including the three national days of St Andrews Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. Scotland's Winter Festival works these events into a winter long festival across Scotland. In 2017 the festival encompassed 23 events across 17 local authority areas.
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; , ) is a Scottish nationalist and social-democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence. It is the second-largest political party by membership in the United Kingdom, behind the Labour Party and ahead of the Conservative Party, is the third-largest by overall representation in the House of Commons, behind the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, and is the largest political party in Scotland, where it has the most seats in the Scottish Parliament and 35 out of the 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The current Scottish National Party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has served as First Minister of Scotland since November 2014.
Scotland
Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is the Great Highland bagpipe, a wind instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), fiddle and accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily featured in Scottish country dance bands. There are many successful Scottish bands and individual artists in varying styles including Annie Lennox, Amy Macdonald, Runrig, Belle and Sebastian, Boards of Canada, Camera Obscura, Cocteau Twins, Deacon Blue, Franz Ferdinand, Susan Boyle, Emeli Sandé, Texas, The View, The Fratellis, Twin Atlantic and Biffy Clyro. Other Scottish musicians include Shirley Manson, Paolo Nutini, Andy Stewart and Calvin Harris. Scotland hosts several music festivals including the Royal National Mòd and Celtic Connections.
Goat water
Goat water, also referred to as kiddy stew, is a stew that is a part of the national cuisine of the Caribbean island of Montserrat It has been described as a national dish of Montserrat. It has also been described as a national stew.
Culture of the Isle of Man
A more recent claim for the title of national dish would be the ubiquitous chips, cheese and gravy. This dish, which is similar to poutine, is found in most of the island's fast-food outlets, and consists of thick cut chips, covered in shredded Manx Cheddar cheese and topped with a thick gravy. Baked potato with a variety of toppings such as chili beans is a popular fast-food dish not typically served in English take-aways.
Apple strudel
Strudel is most often associated with the Austrian cuisine, but is also a traditional pastry in the whole area formerly belonging to the Austro-Hungarian empire. In these countries, apple strudel is the most widely known kind of strudel. Apple strudel is considered to be the national dish of Austria along with Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz.
Scottish people
The Scottish people (Scots: "Scots Fowk"; Scottish Gaelic: "Albannaich") or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded the Kingdom of Scotland (or "Alba") in the 9th century. Later, the neighbouring Celtic-speaking Cumbrians, as well as Germanic-speaking Anglo-Saxons and Norse, were incorporated into the Scottish nation.
Kokis
Kokis () is a deep-fried, crispy Sri Lankan food made from rice flour and coconut milk. Although considered as a traditional Sri Lankan dish, it is believed to have come from the Dutch. This is an important dish when celebrating Sinhala and Tamil New Year and plays a major role in the festivities.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
Gillian Glover visited the restaurant in 2004 for "The Scotsman", calling the lobster dish with lime and herb butter "so compelling public demand will ensure the poor chap is still smoking lobster shells in his eighties". She agreed with her dining partner that the meal was the best she had eaten in Scotland. Richard Bath, of the newspaper "Scotland on Sunday", was apprehensive of the complexity of the dishes when he visited the restaurant in 2008. However, he was pleased at the "unfussiness" of the menu, praising the veal loin served with veal shin and sweetbreads. He said that the "delicate flavours of the loin meshing with the richer, darker tones of the juicy shin, and rounded off with the tender, velvety sweetbreads to produce an exquisitely balanced dish." He gave the meal a rating of nine out of ten.
Rösti
Many Swiss people consider rösti to be a national dish. Rather than considering it a complete breakfast, it is more commonly served to accompany other dishes such as "Spinat und Spiegelei" (spinach and fried eggs, sunny side up), cervelas or Fleischkäse. It is commonly available in Swiss restaurants as a replacement for the standard side dish of a given meal.
Pasty
The traditional Cornish pasty, which since 2011 has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga – referred to in Cornwall as turnip) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked. Today, the pasty is the food most associated with Cornwall. It is regarded as the national dish and accounts for 6% of the Cornish food economy. Pasties with many different fillings are made and some shops specialise in selling all sorts of pasties.
Matevž
Matevž (puréed beans with cracklings) is a Slovene national dish. The dish is typical of central Slovenia, especially of the Kočevsko region. It is made of beans and potatoes. Its origins come from the 19th century. Originally the lower social classes ate it as a main course. The dish is also known as "krompirjev mož" (potato man), "medved" (bear) or even as "belokranjski mož" (White Carniola man). The term "matevž" is a derivative from male name Matej or Matevž (Matthew). "Matej" or "Matevž" word origins to many other dialectical expressions: "to have matevža" means to have a hangover.
Culture of Iceland
Iceland offers wide varieties of traditional cuisine. "Þorramatur" (food of the "þorri") is the Icelandic national food. Nowadays "þorramatur" is mostly eaten during the ancient Nordic month of "þorri", in January and February, as a tribute to old culture. "Þorramatur" consists of many different types of food. These are mostly offal dishes like pickled ram's testicles, putrefied shark, singed sheep heads, singed sheep head jam, black pudding, liver sausage (similar to Scottish haggis) and dried fish (often cod or haddock) with or without butter.
Scottish cuisine
The availability of certain foodstuffs in Scotland, in common with the other parts of the United Kingdom, suffered during the 20th century. Rationing during the two World Wars, as well as large-scale industrial agriculture, limited the diversity of food available to the public. Imports from the British Empire and beyond did, however, introduce new foods to the Scottish public.
Scottish cuisine
Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions, practices and cuisines associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but shares much with wider British and European cuisine as a result of local and foreign influences, both ancient and modern. Traditional Scottish dishes exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration.
Scottish cuisine
Scotland's reputation for coronary and related diet-based diseases is a result of the wide consumption of fast food since the latter part of the 20th century. Fish and chip shops remain extremely popular, and indeed the battered and fried haggis supper remains a favourite. These have been joined in more recent years by outlets selling pizzas, kebabs, pakoras and other convenience foodstuffs. An extreme example of this style of food is the Munchy box.
Household
Scotland
Kaymak
It is usually enjoyed as an appetizer or for Saturday morning breakfast, as Saturdays are considered open-air market days where best kajmak is found, but also as a condiment. The simplest recipe is "lepinja sa kajmakom" (bun bread filled with kaymak in Serbia) consumed for breakfast or as fast food. Bosnians, Montenegrins, Serbs, and Macedonians consider it a national meal. Other traditional dishes with kajmak (sold in restaurants) include "pljeskavica sa kajmakom" (the Balkan version of a hamburger patty topped with melted kajmak), as well as "ribić u kajmaku" (beef shank, simmered with kajmak).
Honours of Scotland
The Sceptre of Scotland was a gift made in Italy from Pope Alexander VI to James IV in either 1491 or 1494 and was remodelled and lengthened in 1536. It is made of silver gilt and topped by a finial of polished rock. The sceptre includes grotesques and Christian symbols: stylised dolphins – symbols of the Church – appear on the head of the rod, as do images of the Virgin Mary holding a baby Christ, of Saint James the Great, and of Saint Andrew holding a saltire.
Flag of Scotland
The Flag of Scotland (; ) is also known as St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire. As the national flag, the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly. It is also, where possible, flown from Scottish Government buildings every day from 8am until sunset, with certain exceptions.
Bannock (food)
The original bannocks were heavy, flat cakes of unleavened barley or oatmeal dough formed into a round or oval shape, then cooked on a griddle (or "girdle" in Scots). In Scotland, before the 19th century, bannocks were cooked on a bannock stane (Scots for stone), a large, flat, rounded piece of sandstone, placed directly onto a fire, used as a cooking surface. Most modern bannocks are made with baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent, giving them a light and airy texture.
There is a suggestion that bannock cakes played a pivotal role in the deciding of a person for human sacrifice during the late Iron Age in the discovery of Lindow Man.
British African-Caribbean people
The earliest Caribbean immigrants to post-war Britain found differences in diet and availability of food an uncomfortable challenge. In later years, as the community developed and food imports became more accessible to all, grocers specialising in Caribbean produce opened in British high streets. Caribbean restaurants can now also be found in most areas of Britain where West Indian communities reside, serving traditional Caribbean dishes such as curried goat, fried dumplings, ackee and salt fish (the national dish of Jamaica), Pelau (the national dish of Trinidad and Tobago), (Cou-Cou and Flying Fish the national dish of Barbados), Pudding and Souse, as well as Fish Cakes from Barbados. The spices known as "jerk" and the traditional Sunday West Indian meal of rice and peas.
National anthem of Scotland
Despite coverage by "The Scotsman" newspaper, the Scottish Parliament has yet to convene any parliamentary debate on the issue, with Holyrood's Enterprise Committee denying a motion from Scottish National Party MSP Michael Matheson on the subject. In an attempt to add breadth to the discussion, Edinburgh musician Bob Murray first presented a one-man show on the subject at The Scottish Storytelling Centre in May 2015, and now performs it from time to time at various venues.
Food Standards Scotland
Food Standards Scotland () is a non-ministerial government department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for food safety, food standards, nutrition, food labelling and meat inspection in Scotland. Established by the Food (Scotland) Act 2015, Food Standards Scotland has taken over the responsibilities of the UK-wide organisation, the Food Standards Agency, in Scotland.
Rutabaga
In Scotland, separately boiled and mashed, rutabagas ("neeps") and potatoes are served as "neeps and tatties" ("tatties" being the Scots word for potatoes), in a traditional Burns supper, together with the main course of haggis (the Scottish national dish). Neeps mashed with carrots or potatoes is called clapshot. In Orkney neeps mashed with potatoes (tatties) is called clapshot. Roughly equal quantities of neeps and tatties are boiled together in salted water and mashed with lots of butter. Seasoning can be augmented with black pepper. Onions are never used. Regionally, neeps are a common ingredient in soups and stews.
Trifle
The Scots have a similar dish to trifle, tipsy laird, made with Drambuie or whisky. In the Southern US, a variant of trifle is known as tipsy cake.
Haggis
Haggis is popularly assumed to be of Scottish origin, but many countries have produced similar dishes, albeit with different names. However, the recipes as known and standardised now are distinctly Scottish. The first known written recipes for a dish of the name, made with offal and herbs, are as "hagese", in the verse cookbook "Liber Cure Cocorum" dating from around 1430 in Lancashire, north west England, and, as "hagws of a schepe" from an English cookbook also of c. 1430."For hagese"'.
Þe hert of schepe, þe nere þou take,
Þo bowel noght þou shalle forsake,
On þe turbilen made, and boyled wele,
Hacke alle togeder with gode persole,The Scottish poem, "Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy", which is dated before 1520 (the generally accepted date prior to the death of William Dunbar, one of the composers), refers to 'haggeis'.Thy fowll front had, and he that Bartilmo flaid;
The gallowis gaipis eftir thy graceles gruntill,
As thow wald for ane haggeis, hungry gled.An early printed recipe for haggis appears in 1615 in "The English Huswife" by Gervase Markham. It contains a section entitled "Skill in Oate meale".
Food writer Alan Davidson suggests that the ancient Romans were the first known to have made products of the haggis type. Haggis was "born of necessity, as a way to utilize the least expensive cuts of meat and the innards as well".
Cock-a-leekie soup
While it is called "Scotland's National Soup", it probably originated as a chicken and onion soup in France. By the 16th century, it had made its way to Scotland, where the onions were replaced with leeks. The first recipe was printed in 1598, though the name "cock-a-leekie" did not come into use until the 18th century.
Royal Banner of Scotland
The Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, also known as the Royal Banner of Scotland, or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland, and historically as the Royal Standard of Scotland, (, ) or Banner of the King of Scots, is the Royal Banner of Scotland, and historically, the Royal Standard of the Kingdom of Scotland. Used historically by the Scottish monarchs, the banner differs from Scotland's national flag, the Saltire, in that its correct use is restricted by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland to only a few Great Officers of State who officially represent the Monarchy in Scotland. It is also used in an official capacity at royal residences in Scotland when the Head of State is not present.
Culture of the United Kingdom
The hot cross bun is a popular British sweet bun traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but are now eaten all year round. Treacle tart was created after the invention of Golden syrup by chemists working for Abram Lyle in 1885. With its logo and green-and-gold packaging having remained almost unchanged since then, Lyle's Golden Syrup was listed by "Guinness World Records" as having the world's oldest branding and packaging. Scottish cuisine includes Arbroath Smokie and Haggis; Northern Irish cuisine features the Ulster fry and the Pastie and Welsh cuisine is noted for Welsh rarebit (often using Worcestershire sauce) and Cawl. Brown sauce is a traditional British condiment, with its best known variety HP Sauce (named after and featuring an image of the Houses of Parliament on the label) a popular spread on chicken and Bacon sandwiches. Scotland's Angus cattle is the UK's most popular native beef breed. Cavendish bananas were cultivated by Sir Joseph Paxton in the greenhouses of Chatsworth House, Derbyshire in 1836. Named after William Cavendish, they account for the vast majority of bananas consumed in the western world.
United Kingdom
Scotland
British people
British dishes include fish and chips, the Sunday roast, and bangers and mash. British cuisine has several national and regional varieties, including English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine, each of which has developed its own regional or local dishes, many of which are geographically indicated foods such as Cheddar cheese, Cheshire cheese, the Yorkshire pudding, Arbroath Smokie, Cornish pasty and Welsh cakes.
Cornish people
Cornish cuisine is a regional variety of British cuisine, strongly rooted in a tradition of using local produce, which is used to create relatively simple dishes. Most prominent in Cornish cuisine is the pasty (sometimes known as the Cornish pasty) made from diced beef, potato, onion and swede (commonly called 'turnip' by the Cornish), enclosed within a pastry crust and then baked. One idea of its origins suggests that it evolved as a portable lunch for Cornish miners, the crust serving as a disposable handle that could be held by a miner's hand without soiling the filling. Fish was an important element of the Cornish diet, but international commercial fishing was also well established by the 16th century, and tons of pilchards were exported from Cornwall to France, Italy and Spain every year. Stargazy pie is an occasional festive Cornish dish with the heads of fish standing on their tails, originally pilchards, piercing a pastry crust. The saffron bun, also known as the tea treat bun, is a sweet bread with its origins in Cornwall.
F. Marian McNeill
In the years between the First and Second World Wars she became involved in the revival of Scottish literature and culture known as the Scottish Renaissance. She is best known as the author of "The Scots Kitchen", published in 1929. This encyclopaedic work covers the essentials and diversity of Scotland's culinary heritage, including many historical and literary references. Recipes include Forfar bridies, Cock-a-leekie soup and porridge.
Breakfast
Another traditional British breakfast consists of porridge, although now associated with Scotland, it has been consumed across Britain as a staple food since at least the Middle Ages. The breakfast cereal Scott's Porage Oats was produced in Glasgow in 1880. Before the arrival of American-style breakfast cereals in the early 20th century, dried bread soaked in hot milk or tea and porridge (boiled oats) was the common daily breakfast, while leftover vegetables (often, cabbage) and potatoes not eaten the night before were often served re-fried becoming 'bubble-and-squeak'; in Ireland the dish is known as colcannon. Traditionally, breakfast would be served with a small amount of fruit, such as a slice of orange, believed to prevent the onset of scurvy. Also traditional, but now less popular breakfasts included fish in the form of kippers (smoked herring) with poached egg and toast, and kedgeree (a Scoto-Indian smoked haddock, egg and rice dish originating in Colonial India). Most British breakfasts are consumed with tea, coffee or fruit juice.
Food and drink prohibitions
Offal is the internal organs of butchered animals, and may refer to parts of the carcass such as the head and feet ("trotters") in addition to organ meats such as sweetbreads and kidney. Offal is a traditional part of many European and Asian cuisines, including such dishes as the steak and kidney pie in the United Kingdom or "callos a la madrileña" in Spain. Haggis has been Scotland's national dish since the time of Robert Burns. In northeast Brazil, there is a similar dish to haggis called ""buchada"", made with goats' stomach.
Empire biscuit
An Empire biscuit (Imperial biscuit, double biscuit, German biscuit, Belgian biscuit, double shortbread, Empire cookie or biscuit bun) is a sweet biscuit popular in the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland, and other Commonwealth countries. It is considered a traditional Scottish snack but is also popular in Northern Ireland, and it is an iconic dish in Winnipeg,
Canada.
Skalk
The skalk refers to the Scottish Hebridean tradition of drinking a dram of whisky as an aperitif before breakfast. The word is an anglicization of the Scots Gaelic word "scailg" meaning literally "a sharp blow to the head." The tradition was notably observed by the English writer Samuel Johnson during his tour of the Western Isles of Scotland. In his "A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland", Johnson remarks that "A man of the Hebrides, for of the woman's diet I can give no account, as soon as he appears in the morning, swallows a glass of whisky; yet they are not a drunken race, at least I never was present at much intemperance; but no man is so abstemious as to refuse the morning dram, which they call a skalk." In modern usage, the term skalk is used in Scotch whisky drinking culture to refer to a casual glass of whisky in the morning.
Squab pie
Squab pie is a traditional dish from South West England, with early records showing it was associated with Cornwall, Devon and Gloucestershire. Although the name suggests it contains squab (young domestic pigeon), in fact it contains mutton and apples. The pie was eaten around the world in the 1900s, though outside South West England it generally did contain pigeon. It is no longer a popular dish, with less than 3% of British teenagers surveyed having eaten it.
Steak pie
Many Scots celebrate New Year's Day with a dinner of steak pie.
Öçpoçmaq
Öçpoçmaq ( or ;Cyrillic: Өчпочмак , literally "triangle") is a Bashkirs and Tatar national dish, an essential food in Bashkirs and Tatar culture. It is a triangular pastry, filled with minced beef, onion and potatoes. Öçpoçmaq is usually eaten with bouillon or with tea.
Belokranjska povitica
Belokranjska povitica (English: "Bela krajina rolled cake") is a Slovenian national dish. It was supposedly brought to the Bela Krajina region by Uskoks, who were Croatian Habsburg soldiers that inhabited the areas of the eastern Adriatic area. The name itself, "povitica", explains the preparation procedure. The term "povitica" is a derivate from verb "poviti" (English: "to roll").
Obara
Obara (stew) is a Slovene national dish. It is a stew served as an independent meal, which is cooked from various kinds of meat and internal organs. It used to be served at various ceremonies, and it is a part of the traditional Slovenian cuisine. Specially good are obaras served together with ajdovi žganci. Today obaras contain more vegetables.
Stew peas
Stew peas is available in many areas of the Caribbean, is very popular in Jamaica, and has been described as a national dish of Jamaica. The dish is prepared in various unique ways by Jamaicans, and has been described as a staple dish in Jamaican homes and restaurants. In September 1992, the Jamaican newspaper "The Gleaner" declared stew peas with rice as "the best dish made in Jamaica" in its Home, Living and Food Guide.
National symbols of Estonia
Estonian national fish is Baltic herring. In the online poll to select a national fish, which attracted 50,000 voters, the pike won by about 500 votes. The group behind the idea was the Estonian National Fishery Association. A panel of judges overruled the vote on the grounds that as a traditional staple of the Estonian diet, the Baltic herring has been more important for more people through the country's history. Baltic herring has been near Estonian coast for 5,000 years.
Order of the Thistle
The Order's primary emblem is the thistle, the national flower of Scotland. The motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit" (Latin for "No one provokes me with impunity"). The same motto appears on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland and some pound coins, and is also the motto of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Scots Guards, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The patron saint of the Order is St Andrew.
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ), also known by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is Presbyterian and adheres to the Bible and Westminster Confession; the Church of Scotland celebrates two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as five other rites, such as confirmation and matrimony. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
Cabbie claw
Cabbie claw or Cabelew is a traditional dish from the northeast of Scotland and Orkney. It is traditionally made using speldings, young fish of the "Gadidae" family, such as Cod, Haddock or Whiting. The name is a derivative of "cabillaud", the French name for Cod. The dish of cod served in white sauce with chopped egg white in it.
Cullen skink
Cullen skink appears in many traditional Scottish cookery books and appears in numerous restaurants and hotel menus throughout Scotland, the UK, and internationally. In 2012 a "Guardian" columnist described the dish as "the milky fish soup which has surely replaced your haggises and porridges as Scotland's signature dish".
Leek
The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales. 
Daffodil (in Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's leek", "Cenhinen Bedr") on St. David's Day. According to one legend, King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd ordered his soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. The Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton stated, in contrast, that the tradition was a tribute to Saint David, who ate only leeks when he was fasting. Whatever the case, the leek has been known to be a symbol of Wales for a long time; Shakespeare, for example, refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an “ancient tradition” in "Henry V". In the play, Henry tells the Welsh officer Fluellen that he, too, is wearing a leek “for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.” The 1985 and 1990 British one pound coins bear the design of a leek in a coronet, representing Wales.