Fàilte! This Gaelic word for welcome is what we were greeted with as we landed in Scotland for a trip during our spring break last week. This past week, we were able to take some time away from the books and our busy schedules to visit our cousins in London, and also took a trip to the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland. Not only did we enjoy breathtaking scenery, visit historical sites and explore both big and small cities, but we were able to better understand the culture of the United Kingdom by immersing ourselves in the local British and Scottish cuisines.
Excited to eat like locals, we were ready to expand our palates and see what British fare had in store for us. From fish and chips made with the freshest and most tender haddock served with minted pea puree, to a Sunday roast of chicken with crispy jacket potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding, we enjoyed several classic British dishes, which did not compare to their Americanized versions!
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| Fish and Chips from The Black Lion, Kilburn |
Not only did we enjoy our taste of England, we also had a taste of the world while dining at local ethnic restaurants. While dining at our cousins' favorite Indian restaurant, our mouths burned at the spicy taste of chili naan, yet the refreshing cucumber raita (a sauce made with yogurt and mint) and butter chicken (made with an onion, tomato and butter sauce) with basmati rice cooled down these bold flavors. We also had the creamiest and most flavorful hummus we have ever tasted, alongside fluffy pita bread and grilled halloumi cheese at local Lebanese restaurant.
One of our most memorable experiences in London was stopping at the famous Borough Market, the city’s oldest food market with over 100 stalls featuring dishes and ingredients from across the globe. Table after table was piled high with freshly baked croissants and focaccia bread, exotic fruits and vegetables, cheeses of every shape and texture, locally caught seafood, cured meats, as well as hot lunch dishes to eat while browsing around. Though deciding what to try was a difficult decision, we shared a Turkish bourek (a flaky spinach and feta pie), served with hummus and steaming chickpeas, which did not disappoint.
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| Borough Market Entry |
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| Fresh Produce at Borough Market |
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| Beautiful Focaccia from The Flour Station at Borough Market |
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| Spinach and Feta Bourek with Homemade Hummus from Borough Market |
Our culinary adventures in the United Kingdom didn’t end there; we spent half of our trip sampling the local cuisine of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, known for its salmon and other seafood. For breakfast each morning we enjoyed porridge made with Scottish pinhead oats, which had a very hearty texture, yet were delicious seeped in creamy milk. We munched on smoked salmon sandwiches with dill cream cheese for lunch and delicious Scottish shortbread for dessert. On our last night in the town of Portree, we ate an incredible salmon steak from the west coast of Skye. Few seasonings were needed; the freshness of the fish and flaky texture spoke for itself. We also spent one of our days trekking through farmland and along the coast with an incredible guide, where we were able to enjoy freshly cooked mussels over a fire.
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Isle of Skye, Scotland
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Though we are back in Boston, we have brought taste and appreciation for British and other global cuisines with us, and are excited to continue on our culinary journeys in our future travels!
Enjoy!
