In Scotland to taste a CULINARY RENAISSANCE

A new generation of entrepreneurs and chefs is showcasing traditional and contemporary Scottish cuisine

- Alison de Souza

SCOTLAND - Mention Scottish food and most people think of haggis a sausage made from sheep organs, oats and fat, which is not instantly appealing - or the infamous fried Mars bar that originated in the country's fishand-chip shops.

And the Scots are well aware of their reputation for stodgy, arterycompromising eats. "We'll deepfry your granny if you let us," a Scottish friend gleefully told me.

But that reputation is evolving as a new generation of chefs and entrepreneurs showcases traditional and contemporary Scottish cuisine - as well as the world-class seafood, cheeses and game meats Scotland ought to be more famous for.

I get a taste of this culinary renaissance on a visit to the capital city in 2023.

Edinburgh has seen an unprecedented foodie boom in recent years an explosion of restaurants and coffee shops as well as a new emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

Staying with a friend in the Morningside neighbourhood a few kilometres from the city centre, I find delicious things without even trying.

I stumble across an outpost of I.J. Mellis, one of the country's top cheesemongers, and come away with a selection of unpasteurised cheeses I have never heard of, including a tangy Hebridean Blue Scotland's answer to Stilton - and a fragrant Auld Reekie, which has been smoked over whisky-barrel shavings.

W.M. Christie, a five-generation family-run butcher, has beautifully marbled rib-eye steaks from grassand forage-fed Aberdeen Angus cows one of many iconic Scottish bovine breeds - and I am thrilled to find an old-school fishmonger in the area too.

my Edinburgh also has some outstanding restaurants, and friend and I eat at two that emphasise high-quality and seasonal Scottish seafood, meats and produce: The Kitchin and Wedgwood The Restaurant.