Glasgow
What Food is Glasgow Famous For? Discover The Cuisine!
What Food is Glasgow Famous For? Discover The Cuisine!
The table above lists all the local delicacies from Glasgow and souvenirs to purchase on your visit. Click on each name to be taken straight to the part of the blog post for that item.
Deep Fried Pizza by Stx
When it comes to famous food from Glasgow, you have a wide range of options. From the classic Tunnock's tea cakes and mince and tatties to modern dishes like a roll and lorne sausage for breakfast (usually called square sausage) or scotch pies at the football, there is something for everyone in Glasgow.
The variety of food available in the city gives people an insight into Glaswegian culture. One of the most popular dishes in Glasgow is the deep-fried pizza. This dish consists of a slice of normal pizza, coated in batter and then deep-fried. The result is a round, crunchy, doughy pizza with no visible toppings but tastes much better than that sounds (especially with salt and vinegar slathered on top). The classic Lanark blue cheese can also be found all over Glasgow. This is a blue cheese made from the milk of dairy cows that have been grazing near Carnwath in South Lanarkshire. The result is a deliciously strong flavour that varies depending on the time of year it is made. As you can see Glasgow is a great place to be if you love food!
Once you've read up on the foods to try on your visit to the largest city in Scotland, why not have a look at our posts for the activities that are available to do?
Must-try Glasgow dishes the locals love!
In this blog post, we will be discussing what delicacies you can expect to find in Glasgow.
From traditional west of Scotland fare to more country wide enjoyedl cuisine, there are plenty of options on offer. Here are a few examples we recommend:
Roll and Square Sausage (Lorne Sausage)
Generally speaking, accessing tasty breakfast options in Glasgow food is fairly easy especially when a local delicacy, the roll, and lorne sausage, can be found at burger vans throughout the city. The dish (if you can call it that) is exactly as it sounds and consists of two parts of one roll sandwiching a square sausage made from beef or occasionally pork. It is deep-fried in a pan with butter and is usually accompanied by some red or brown sauce. This snack is loved by many in Scotland, but mostly everyone in Glasgow eats it on a locally produced Mortons roll (known as a crispy roll).
Ayrshire Dunlop Cheese
Dunlop cheese is a mild yellow cheese made from unskimmed cow milk produced in Ayrshire that resembles a soft cheddar in texture. Named after the village of Dunlop in Ayrshire, the sharp, crumbly cheese melts in your mouth and has an unforgettable flavour that is just as great with crackers, bread, or bar snacks. Matured over 12 to 14 months, the cheese is well known throughout Scotland.
Deep Fried Pizza
Deep-fried pizza is exactly as it sounds, a pizza that has been deep fried ending with the pizza completely covered in batter. The result is a crunchy, doughy crust with little to no visible toppings because the batter does not cook long enough to add any colour or textures. It makes up for this fact by being very tasty especially when covered in salt and vinegar. Usually found in fish and chip shops around the city and can be part of a 'pizza supper' or a 'crunchy pizza slice' on its own. Perfect for a bite to eat on the way home after a night out.
Deep Fried Mars Bar
Mars Bars are a popular treat in many countries, and now you can find them deep-fried and ready to serve at the many fish and chip shops around the county.
Deep frying Mars bars are not a new idea; people have been doing it for years with mixed reviews. But if you're looking for something different, or want something sweet after dinner, then this might be your thing!
Originating in Aberdeenshire, the treat was adopted by the patrons of Glasgow making the treat one of the dishes the city is most known for.
Mince an Tawties by Mutt Lunker under license CC BY-SA 3.0
Mince and Tatties
Mince and tatties is one of the most famous dishes in Glasgow's food history. It consists of mashed potatoes served with an equal amount of minced beef. It has maintained a popular dish on the West Coast even though the dish through mainland Britain has been on the decline over the last few decades.
Historically the dish was served in school canteens with the taste varying depending on your preferred version. Keeping it simple, a bit of salt and pepper to season is generally used, or for the more adventurous, some spicy red sauce for an extra kick. Mince and tatties are best served steaming hot out of the pan with the mashed potatoes usually creamy and soft. It is easy to see why this dish has lasted for so long!
Lanark Blue Cheese
Known as the Roquefort of Scotland, Lanark blue cheese is a type of Scottish cheese made from sheep's milk. It has been produced in the Lanarkshire area for decades after following a recipe written by Sir Walter Scott.
The semi-hard Lanark blue cheese is known throughout Scotland with the strength of the cheese being determined by the time of year it is produced. A locally made cheese that is still made from within the local family that first created it back in the 1980s, this blue cheese is one to try.
Scotch Pie
A Scotch Pie is a type of savoury pastry that is popular in Scotland and the North of England. It is made from a minced beef and onion filling that is encased in a shortcrust or puff pastry shell.
The pies are usually served hot as part of a lunch with baked beans or at outside events like football and rugby matches. The meat filling can sometimes contain suet which gives the pie a greasy texture and strong flavour. There are variations to the traditional Scotch Pie, including one that removes the beef filling and replaces it with macaroni cheese instead.
Tunnocks Teacake by Twid under license CC BY-SA 3.0
Tunnocks Tea Cake
Tunnocks tea cake is a Scottish delicacy that has been in production for over seventy years. The baker's company, Tunnock's, was founded in 1890 by Thomas Tunnock, who made their first batch of the famous tea cakes in 1956. It is a small tea cake consisting of Italian meringue on a shortbread biscuit with a thin chocolate exterior. What makes this snack so special however is its shape - it resembles a dome shape that makes it a unique and identifiable biscuit that can be found in almost every supermarket.
And some souvenirs to take home...
Auchentoshan Whisky
Auchentoshan is a single-malt Scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Lowlands near Glasgow. The brewery is one of only six lowland distilleries still operating. Known as the 'breakfast whisky' due to its sweet and delicate nature, the distillery produces many whiskies including triple-distilled grain.
Auchentoshan produces more than 1 million litres annually and exports to more than 50 countries around the world. It has won several awards including its 16 and 18-year scotches receiving double gold medals at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Conclusion
Glasgow's food is famous for being flavoursome, and many of the dishes above have been around for decades. If you're looking to experience some traditional Scottish cuisine without having to travel too far from home, then Glasgow is a great place to visit. Don't forget your appetite!! To find out more about free things to do in the area alongside your food travels, click on the links below: