Scottish Dictionary - Prepare from Beginning

      Black Treacle—A by-product of the sugar molasses process, black treacle is a thick syrup with a somewhat bitter flavor. The closest equivalent in the US is blackstrap molasses.

      Black Pudding—This is a variety of blood sausage traditionally crafted from pork blood, fat, and a grain filler like oats, featuring a savory, nutty, and slightly metallic taste. It is often served as part of a traditional Scottish breakfast.

      Bannock—A thick, disk-shaped flatbread made traditionally with oat or barley flour before wheat flour became widely accessible, it can be cooked over an open flame, baked, or fried. It is also quite popular in Canada, where it is thought to have been brought by Scottish fur traders in the 18th century.

      Caster Sugar—Also spelled as "castor" and sometimes referred to as “superfine,” caster sugar has a texture that falls between US granulated and confectioners' sugars. Its fine granules allow it to pass through a "caster" shaker, which is where it gets its name.

      Clootie Dumpling—Also referred to as “duff,” this is a steamed fruit pudding where the dumpling mixture is wrapped in cloth and simmered in water for several hours until it becomes firm, then unwrapped and left to dry until a skin forms on the outside. In Scotland, "clootie" generally denotes a cloth, while "duff" is a dialect variation of “dough.”

      Cranachan—A dessert made of layers of raspberries, unsweetened whipped cream, toasted oats, honey, and Scottish whisky. Traditionally, each ingredient is served in a separate dish so that diners can mix their dessert to their liking.

      Double Cream—British double cream, with a fat content around 48%, has a rich and thick texture. It is created by using centrifugal force to separate butterfat from unhomogenized milk. In contrast, American heavy whipping cream has a fat content of about 36% and is made by skimming fat from the surface of milk. While heavy whipping cream can often replace double cream, it is more prone to splitting in savory dishes like soups and sauces.

      Dram—A dram represents a serving of Scottish whisky. Unlike fixed measurements like "shot" or "jigger," which are typically 1.5 ounces in the US, the serving size of a dram varies based on who is pouring. Generally, one is likely to receive a smaller serving in Scotland than in the US.

      Golden Syrup—Also known as light treacle, it is another byproduct of sugar-refining. Golden syrup has a rich, buttery sweetness that is distinctly different from honey, molasses, or corn syrup, and has no true equivalent in America.

      Haggis—Scotland's national dish, haggis is a sausage-like blend of sheep liver, heart, and lungs; suet; oats; onion; and spices encased in a sheep's stomach lining and boiled for cooking. Despite its rustic roots, haggis is now typically served on special occasions, often with a celebratory atmosphere and traditional bagpipe music.

      Mixed Spice—This is a blend of ground allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, mace, and other warming spices, with pumpkin pie spice being the best American substitute.

      Neeps and Tatties—This is a classic side dish consisting of mashed rutabagas or turnips (neeps) and mashed potatoes (tatties), served alongside haggis.

      Oatcakes—Savory crackers resembling flat cookies, oatcakes are made from oats, water, and fat, rolled thin, and baked or cooked on a skillet or griddle.

      Parlies—Ginger and black treacle cookies historically popular in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, they are also called parliament cakes because they were allegedly favored by members of parliament.

      Porridge and Spurtle—The term "porridge" universally refers to any grain cooked in liquid until thick. In Scotland, oatmeal is the traditional porridge, and a spurtle is the wooden dowel used to stir the oats to prevent lumps.

      Rumbledethumps—A dish similar to English bubble and squeak and Irish colcannon, rumbledethumps consists of creamy mashed potatoes, sometimes mixed with neeps (rutabagas or turnips) and cabbage or kale, often baked with cheese on top. Its name allegedly derives from the sounds produced while stirring the mixture. Like colcannon, rumbledethumps is often made to utilize leftover potatoes and greens.

      Scotch Pie—This is a circular, double-crust pie typically served cold, made with a hot water crust that encases minced lamb, mutton, or beef along with spices. It is a popular snack across Scotland, especially at football (soccer) matches, and even features an annual World Championship Scotch Pie Awards competition.

      Scran—A Scottish slang term referring to