Are scotch eggs really Scottish?
Scotch is an old word meaning Scottish. Today Scottish people don’t really like being called Scotch, but the word is still used for many Scottish foods and drinks. Scotch whisky, Scotch beef, Scotch broth are all good examples. But what about Scotch eggs?
The origin of scotch eggs
A traditional scotch egg is a boiled egg coated in pork sausage meat, with an outer crust of breadcumbs. You may be surprised to discover that the department store Fortnum & Mason in London, England, claim to have invented the scotch egg in 1738. Another theory is that William J. Scott & Sons restaurant in Whitby, England, invented an early version of the snack, using fish paste rather than sausage meat. There are several other ideas on the origin of this delicacy too, but none of them point to Scotland. So although it is much enjoyed throughout Scotland, the scotch egg is not actually Scottish.
So why is it called a scotch egg?
Like their origin, there are also a few different theories on the name of this baked or deep fried snack. One is that it’s called a scotch egg because the process of mincing the meat to go around the egg is known as scotching. An alternative is that they were named Scotties after the William J. Scott & Sons restaurant restaurant in Whitby mentioned above, and eventually this evolved into Scotch eggs.
How to make your own scotch eggs
They might not be Scottish, but we still love to eat them in Scotland. Particularly as a picnic snack! You can pick them up from most supermarkets and food shops. They are made by taking a hard boiled egg with the shell removed, encasing it in a ball of seasoned sausage meat, then coating it in breadcrumbs. This is then baked or deep fried until the meat is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Use this excellent scotch egg recipe to make your own!
