Fish and chips is one of the most iconic and recognisable British dishes around. If you’re visiting the UK, you’re definitely going to want to sample it. A fish and chip shop is known as a “chippy” by Brits. And there are some notable differences in a Scottish chippy in comparison to its counterparts.
Firstly and primarily, when in Scotland, if you want to order fish and chips, you’re going to be asking for a “fish supper”. Supper means a meal and when you add chips, you complete the meal. If you want fish on its own, you’ll be asking for a single. The second notable difference in Scotland is the fact that they are known to fry anything and everything. Whatever you can think of, you’ll be able to get it in fried form from a chippy. The two most interesting fried items that are worth trying are the Mars Bar and Pizza (more on these will be discussed below). The last difference we’ll mention here is probably Edinburgh specific. Edinburgh locals commonly order their fish supper with salt ’n’ sauce, which is a brown sauce lathered on top of the fish. Supposedly a secret sauce, but the rumour is that vinegar and brown sauce are combined to make this delicious concoction.
Halal Fish and Chips
If you’re in Edinburgh, check out Deep Sea Fish & Chips on Nicolson Street for a 100% halal Scottish chippy experience. They are a self-proclaimed only 100% halal chippy in Edinburgh! You can try all the Scottish chippy delicacies here. Another one we tried out was near Portobello Beach: St Andrews Restaurant & Takeaway. They seemed extremely popular amongst the locals and they had won a number of awards too for their fish and chips. They are not 100% halal, but they do have halal options. It is perfectly located minutes away from the beach. So, grab a fish supper and enjoy it on the beach (if you’re fortunate, while watching a game of volleyball!).
How was the Scottish fish and chips?
It was definitely different to what we’re used to in England. The brown sauce on top really had an impact on the taste and overall flavours. It was your typical fish and chip taste, but with a slightly tangy twist. Interesting and delicious I’d say. Definitely worth trying.
Now, let’s discuss the more interesting items…
Deep fried Mars Bar
This Scottish delicacy is a bucket list item for tourists from all over the world. It’s basically a Mars Bar dipped in batter that is used for fish in a chippy and then deep fried. It can be found as a staple item in chippies all over Scotland. The origin goes back to Carron Fish Bar in 1995 in Stonehaven Aberdeenshire. Apparently a school kid dared his friend to deep fry his Mars Bar. And so he asked the chippy, they complied and the rest is history. An icon was born!
This strange combo became a trend overnight and started popping up all over the country. Now it’ll be difficult to find a chippy that doesn’t serve this delicacy. It’s so famous that it brings in tourists to the town in Scotland. Supposedly, in the summer months they sell more than 200 a day and most of them are to tourists. It was even mentioned on the Jay Leno show in the US! It’s of course not the healthiest thing you’ll ever eat, quite the opposite. Back in 2012 Mars even freed themselves from the dish as it went against their idea of healthy living.
In Edinburgh, Cafe Piccante is one of the popular places to try it at. They take it up a notch by offering to deep fry any chocolate bar of your choice. They have a selection in store and basically you choose the chocolate bar. We were excited to try this, but in store we were informed that they use the same oil for all of their items making this unsuitable for a halal diet. We felt dejected (failed foodie mission) and so we headed back to our hotel. On our way back we spotted Deep Sea Fish & Chips – the only 100% halal chippy in town!
Our verdict?
Mine: I liked it. I actually don’t like Mars, but this tasted like a nice sweet gooey chocolate dessert. I’d happily have it again (probably not in a rush though).
Wife’s: she’s not sure if she likes it or not. Siding more towards not liking it. The mix between the fried savoury batter and chocolate just didn’t work. She thought she’d enjoy it, but she didn’t.
So, if you’re in Scotland you absolutely must try it. I think it’s one of those things that you just need to tick off your list – and not necessarily for the amazing taste.
Scottish Deep Fried Pizza!
This one is the less famous, but by no means any less popular fried item in Scotland! The deep fried pizza is a frozen pizza (the cheap ones you get at the supermarket) that is deep fried in hot oil as opposed to baked in the oven. The original version is not dipped in batter, but you can also get it dipped – that one’s called Pizza Crunch. The end result is of course quite an unhealthy affair.
Just like the fried mars bar, you can pick this up in most fish and chip shops in Scotland. We picked ours up from Deep Sea Fish & Chips.
Question here isn’t whether we liked it or not. Just like the fried mars bar, how can you be a foodie/traveller and not try the local delicacies? Another must try for the experience/bucket list in Edinburgh/Scotland.
