Tastes of Scotland: Edinburgh Fog

Carolyn McDonald Graf

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a lovely city with interesting architecture and beautiful natural surroundings. But it was not always like this. In the late middle ages, what is now known as the Old Town, was surrounded by a wall. To the north was a body of water called the Nor’ Loch. The fortifications and this natural feature kept Edinburgh safe from invasion. They also created problems that increased as time went by.

The Nor’Loch was used for drainage for the city’s waste and became a popular site for dumping dead bodies. In addition, the outpouring of smoke from the coal fires of dwellings and factories combined with the smells from Nor’ Loch to create a nasty form of air pollution.

Because of the boundaries created by the wall and the Loch, there was no place for the city to expand, so it grew upward, creating perhaps the first high rise buildings, some of them eleven stories or more. This crowding added to the smog of the city, which could be seen and smelled from a distance. It resulted in the city being nicknamed “Auld Reekie” or Old Smokie.

Eventually the Nor’ Loch was filled in and became Prince Street Gardens. The city expanded beyond the walls, tenements were replaced with more stable and attractive dwellings, and coal was replaced with less polluting energy. But the name Auld Reekie is still affectionately used by residents in store names and tour groups. So, the next time you climb Arthur’s Seat, look around and imagine what Edinburgh must have looked like many years ago when it was first called Auld Reekie.

This recipe was named to recall the bygone days when, even in the 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson complained about the fog of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Fog

As with many old recipes, exact amounts are not given. Here’s a recipe from F. Marian McNeill with my suggestions. The original recipe called for ratafia biscuits, which are a type of almond flavored cookie. Any almond flavored cookie or macaroon biscuit may be used. Adapt it yourself, perhaps by adding Drambuie or some tart fruit. It serves about 4.

Ingredients

  • cream, 1 cup
  • sugar, (confectioner sugar) 2 Tablespoons
  • ratafia biscuits (I used 12 almond flavored shortbread cookies of the size pictured, lightly crumbled)
  • almonds, 1/2 cup chopped
  • vanilla, 1 tsp. – but I used almond flavoring instead

Beat ½ pint of cream to a stiff froth with a little pounded sugar and vanilla flavouring. Mix thoroughly with a good handful of ratafia biscuits and some blanched and chopped almonds. Serve in a glass dish or bowl.

The Scots Kitchen, F. Marion McNeill, Mercat Press, Edinburgh EH3 7AL 1993. p.166