Section Navigation:
Scotland's Food Under the Spotlight
In a bid to dispel the myth of Scottish food, Scotland recently played host to a group of international students from the world’s first University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy...
Although Scotland’s national drink of whisky is loved the world over, Scottish food has not always received the same recognition.
The heart of Scottish cooking is local produce, which includes indigenous fish, shellfish, game, lamb, beef, fruit and vegetables, and traditionally made cheeses.
To show the world what Scottish cuisine has to offer, thirteen international students from the world’s first University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, an old Roman village in the north of Italy were invited on a delicious trip around Scotland.
Founded by the Slow Food Movement in 2003 – an international organisation which aims to understand the important of caring where food comes from, who makes it and how it’s made – the university is an international research and training centre, working to maintain an organic relationship between gastronomy and agricultural science.
As part of their degree programme, the students embarked on a two-week learning journey – known as a ‘stage’ – round Scotland in the hope of returning to Italy with a fresh perspective on Scotland’s food culture. The students visited a variety of food suppliers and producers including a haggis producer, a dairy farm, an organic farm, hotels and restaurants.
Founder of the Slow Food Movement, Carlo Petrini, declared that a 'stage' must be held in Scotland, following a trip to Skye in 2005.
Accompanying the students on the trip was Director of Slow Food UK, Pam Rodway:
“It is a privilege to welcome these young ambassadors of the new eco-gastronomy to taste and see what we do here in Scotland.”
The students also visited Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh before returning to Italy. The party of students and their co-ordinator, Fulvio Silvestri were the first from the Italian University to take such a trip to Scotland as part of the course.
Fulvio told us what he thought of Scottish food before he came to Scotland.
"I didn’t have any preconceptions, as so many people have, of food from the UK. I have really enjoyed it. During the trip I was impressed with venison I have to say. I had it at The Three Chimneys restaurant and it was absolutely stunning."
"Lady Claire MacDonald of Kinloch Lodge threw us a wonderful welcome dinner. We drove all the way down to Skye and got there about eight thirty and everyone was really tired because Italy had won the world cup the night before!"
"The slow food movement is trying to re-introduce vegetable garden projects starting in Primary Schools, so that kids actually have their own Botanical Garden. This helps kids understand the seasonality and how you grow vegetables.
"I work with some students who are twenty years old and they just don't understand this, they just don't see it. They don’t know anything about the seasonality of food. They don't know that they can't have strawberries in winter time.
With Scotland's natural larder of seasonal food, the students must have been impressed.
Student Daniele Mearu, is Italian, but lives in Canada when he's not studying at the university.
"I am a chef and have been a member of the slow food movement for many years, so I have been fascinated by that kind of organisation. Being a chef I always wanted to participate in something like this.
"I think that my expectation of Scottish food was pretty minimal. But I think people are willing to work together with the producers of cheese or vegetables, where it is local, where it is fresh and where its is unique. They want to support the local economy and grow together. I believe Scotland has the potential and the people want to do that.
"Scotland wants to show to the entire world that they have the crucial ingredients and they want to be successful.
"As a gastronome of our time, it is great that the university is teaching us to preserve the land and about diversity and sustainability. Young people like me are being encouraged to establish a good business to preserve the land and to create a good economy for the local industry.
So which part of the last few days have been a bit of an eye opener and what have you enjoyed most?
"The communities are fabulous here. All the people are very friendly and that is a big plus for all of us. Scotland is a very clean country and its people are very beautiful. There is so much to discover. I like the traditional Celtic music – it’s a fun place to be."
"There is not just whisky, I know that. There is a great array of different things, from langoustines and scallops to cheese and beer. There is an entire beautiful world of things to be discovered here."
Related Links
Slow Food MovementRegister for updates
Enter your details to receive email updates for Scotland is the Place. More about registration