2015 has been declared the year of Scotland Food and Drink. This means a year long celebration of Scotland’s larder and the best dishes our wee country has to offer.

Unsurprisingly, here on the 5pm blog we relish any opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s food and drink. So when it was announced the spotlight in January was to be on traditional food, we had a good think and came up with our top seven traditional Scottish dishes.

Check them out below. Not only that, we have linked to the 5pm restaurants serving up these dishes as part of their excellent dining offers.

Porridge

Like all the best traditional fashions such as beards, tweed and bicycles, porridge has once again become trendy . This is probably due to the discovery of just how good porridge is for you; the oatmeal helps fill you up and keeps you feeling full all day as well as being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin A. Porridge is a blank canvas which goes well with pretty much anything, fruit, honey or chocolate if you’re feeling decadent. Scottish traditionalists, of course, only allow water and salt. But however you’re eating it, porridge still remains one of the best ways to start your day.

Cranachan in Glasgow’s Princes Square serves porridge on its own or with the option of adding honey and berry compote. Grahamston at the Atrium in Glasgow’s five star Radisson Hotel has “power porridge” on its menu porridge with honey, fruits and nuts. Or if you’re looking for something a little different, why not try Ristorante Piccolo Mondo‘s Italian take on the traditional Scottish dish, Pappa al Pomodoro which was once the porridge of Tuscany and is made with  tomatoes, fresh basil, leeks, chilli peppers, whole wheat bread and olive oil.

Cullen skink

Originating from the small town of Cullen on the north east coast of Scotland in the Moray firth, Cullen skink is a staple on the starter menu of every respectable Scottish eatery. A soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes and onion, an authentic Cullen skink will use finnan haddie but any undyed smoked haddock will do. Like all the best Scottish traditional dishes it is warm, tasty and comforting and perfect for cold wintery January nights.

Cullen skink is available in a number of Scottish restaurants on 5pm, including Glasgow’s Ingram Wynd, 10 Restaurant & Bar and The Bothy and Hewat’s, Whighams Wine Cellars and Ghillie Dhu.

Scotch broth

If a traditional Scottish dish is encompasses warmth, heartiness, includes grains and can be perfectly mopped up by a big chunk of bread, then maybe Scotch broth is the most traditional Scottish dish of all. The actual ingredients of Scotch broth are open to interpretation but it can include barley, lamb, mutton, beef, root vegetables and/or dried pulses. In the olden days Scotch broth was eaten as a main meal but now you will usually find it in the starter section of the menu.

Mince and tatties

A newspaper survey in 2009 showed that mince and tatties is Scotland’s most popular dish, with a third of respondents saying that they eat mince and tatties once a week. This placed it above smoked salmon, haggis, Scotch pies and Scotch broth. Simply minced beef and roast potatoes, sometimes containing other vegetables and thickening agents, mince and tatties clearly has a special place in the hearts of Scottish people. Even Scottish hero Oor Wullie is a fan – and Maw Broon included her recipe in her Maw Broon’s cookbook.

You can dine on mince and tatties in the Griffin Bar and The Mad Platter, both in Glasgow.  And Charcoals and Masala Twist have come up with possibly the most Glaswegian fusion ever – mince and tatties curry!

Stovies

Stovies is traditionally a left over dish from the Sunday Roast, using the tatties, meat and dripping leftovers all thrown into one pot. Recipes vary – ask 100 people and you could get 100 different recipes for stovies, but the dish always contains potatoes with variations of onions, carrots, other vegetables, roast beef, corned beef, minced beef or other meat.

Glasgow’s Ingram Wynd serves sausage stovies while The Grumpy Goat, also in Glasgow, and 210 Bistro in Aberdeen chooses lamb stovies.

Steak pie

To be fair steak pie isn’t just limited to Scotland, with the entire UK claiming it as a traditional dish. However, it was Glaswegians who traditionally ate it on New Year’s Day bought in an enamel container which was then returned to the butcher when the pie was finished. Again, there are lots of variations of steak pie recipes with other meats and vegetables included. It remains so popular you’ll have no problem finding a steak pie in Glasgow or Edinburgh but 5pm restaurants who list it on their menus include Glasgow’s Guy’s, The Bothy, McPhabbs, Waverley Tea Rooms and Committee Room Number 9.

Haggis neeps and tatties

And now we come to perhaps the most traditional Scottish dish of all and the one that will be eaten most in January during the Burns supper celebrations. Haggis itself has gone off on its own and partnered with a number of other foods including pizza, pakora and chip shop suppers, but accompanied with mashed turnips and potatoes is the traditional way to serve it, along with a wee dram. The great chieftain o the puddin race has a rather feared reputation across the world but despite the less than appealing ingredients any true Scot will tell you haggis truly is delicious.

You can find haggis, neeps and tatties in many a restaurant menu in Glasgow and Edinburgh including Arches Cafe Bar, Roastit Bubbly Jocks, The Inn on the Mile, Darcy’s, Bunker, B’est, The Duchess and Tower Restaurant.