The PA Melting Pot: festivals

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

THE PA MELTING POT - Great Britain - Part 2-2 Scottish and Scotch-Irish (Ulster Scots)

FROM FOODGRAPHY ON TV. THE SCOTCH AND SCOTCH-IRISH INVENTED BOURBON IN THE US. ERGO, THEN THE MINT JULIP AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY!!

The Melting Pot: A look at the evolution of food in southwestern Pa. Part 2-2 Great Britain – Scottish and Scotch Irish

23 % of western Pennsylvania’s population is made up of Irish, Scotch-Irish and Scottish.

Today I would like to talk about the two immigrant groups from the Scotland/Ireland area:

(1) Scots/Scotsman/Scottish/Scottish (which refers to anyone whose heritage lies within the borders of Scotland which throughout history are a combination of Angles, Saxons, Norse, French, English, Britons, Gaelic, Celts etc.) and

(2) Scotch-Irish/Scots-Irish/ Scot-Irish/Ulster Scots (which refers to the Ulster Scots, an ethnic group in Ulster, Ireland, who trace their roots to settlers from Scotland and northern England) The term “Scotch-Irish” was coined in the United States when they immigrated in the 18^th century). The number of Americans of Scottish descent today is estimated to be 20 to 25 million (up to 8.3% of the total US population), and Scotch-Irish, 27 to 30 million (up to 10% of the total US population).

The (Highland) Scottish (Johnny Cash and Andrew Carnegie were Scottish) have been stereotyped as being thrifty, cautious, and “careful of detail”. They were Catholic/Episcopalian, members of clans, spoke Gaelic, wore kilts, played bagpipes and still claim the Loch Ness monster!! Scottish festivals are big and the Ligonier Highland Games in September draw 5000-10,000 attendees. Scotch Bottom (Hazelwood and Greenfield) in Pittsburgh was settled by the Scottish.

SCOTTISH FOODS:

Cock-a-leekie soup (leeks, chicken stock and barley), Scotch broth (barley, lamb, mutton or beef, carrots, turnips, split peas, lentils, cabbage and leeks), and Finnan Haddie which is cold smoked haddock. Black, red and white pudding (sausages), boiled Mutton or Lamb, Haggis (soup made with sheep parts), beef, venison and grouse. Rumbledethumps (a vegetable dish) is made with potatoes, cabbage and onion. Crowdie (cream cheese) and Dunlop (soft cheddar) are popular cheeses.

The Scots also enjoy rich vegetable soups, seafood in many forms, beef, oatcakes (a tasty biscuit), and short-bread (a rich, cookie-like confection), Burnt cream (crème brulee), Cranachan (whipped cream, whiskey, heather honey and fresh raspberries with toasted oatmeal), ales, drambuie, ginger wine and Scotch whiskey.

The Scotch-Irish (John Wayne and Thomas Mellon were Scotch-Irish) before 1900 over 1,200,000 immigrated from Ulster and a large number settled in industrial areas such as Pennsylvania (specifically western Pennsylvania). They spoke Celtic, were Presbyterian, landowners, skilled workers, hard-working, and patriotic. They were responsible for breaking away from Virginia to form West Virginia. The language of the early Scots-Irish settlers had the greatest influence on the speech of southwestern/western Pennsylvania and also contributed to “Pittsburghese.” The Scotch-Irish dialect region spans from western Pennsylvania to Erie (north), west to Youngstown, south to Clarksburg and east to Harrisburg.

SCOTCH-IRISH FOODS (a mixture of Scotch and Irish Foods): Corned Beef and Cabbage, Fish and Chips (hand cut fries) with Malt Vinegar, Green Peas (sometimes called mushy peas), Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes, Turnips and Carrots pan cooked with butter), Irish Soda Bread and Scottish Fruit Scones. Also they use Irish cheeses and butter. Guinness Lamb Stew, steak and potato pie, smoked Mackerel, Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes), Scots Irish Stew, Scotch-Irish Potato Salad, Oatmeal Brulee, Barley wine, Irish Treacle Pudding, Barmbrack (currant cake), Goody (dessert with bread, milk, sugar and spices), whisky, Irish coffee, Mead, Irish breakfast tea and lemonade.

LINKS BELOW THE PHOTOS

SCOTTISH and SCOTCH-IRISH PHOTOS, FOOD PHOTOS AND RECIPE LINKS

Scotland and Scotch-Irish area

LINK to Scotch-Irish or Ulster Scots

Food Photos

Food Links

LINK TO Wikipedia on Scottish Cuisine

LINK TO Eat Scotland

LINK TO FOOD.COM Scottish recipes

LINK TO SCOTLAND.ORG Food and Drink

LINK TO British Food Favorite Scottish Foods

LINK TO Our grandmotherskitchens - Scots-Irish-Americans

LINK TO Allrecipes.com UK and Ireland and Scottish recipes

LINK TO EDINBURGH FESTIVALS

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Pa Melting Pot - Part 2 - Great Britain - Part 1 - Ireland

These immigrants came to western PA in two

waves because of religious persecution, the

potato famine …

Please see photos of Ireland at bottom of post.

Irish Catholics

1800’s and on
By 1850 10,000 in Pittsburgh
Settled in Pittsburgh and southwestern PA
From Ulster in Northern Ireland
Others came from Leinster, Munster and Connaught
Area’s first most significant Catholic influx
Tradesmen
The Protestant hold on Pittsburgh created an anti-Catholic sentiment
Late 19^th century emerged as a force of their own
17 % of the southwestern PA population claim Irish as part of their heritage.

Popular Irish foods: Potato Onion Soup, Irish style; Dublin Coddle (potatoes, pork, ham); Colcannon (potatoes, kale, leeks), etc. The Irish also used recipes with cabbage: boiled cabbage with smoked pork butt, Irish boiled dinner (brisket, cabbage, beer, potatoes). The Hunters left legacies of lamb & beef dishes such as Irish Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb, Lamb Stew and Steak and Potato Pie. The Fisherman provided Irish smoked Fish & Rice with Saffron (Kedgeree) and Scallop and Mushroom Pie. The farmers left the legacy of Irish Soda Bread, Oat Bread, Potato recipes, Irish Peas... Irish desserts: Donegal Oatmeal Cream, Chocolate Potato Cake, Apple Amber (pastry, apples, meringue).

RECIPES BELOW

Potato Onion Soup, Irish style

LINK TO James Beards's Irish Potato Soup with cheese & red ale

Dublin Coddle (potatoes, pork, ham)

LINK TO British Food Dublin Coddle recipe

Boiled cabbage with smoked pork butt

LINK TO Smoked Butt

Irish boiled dinner (brisket, cabbage, beer, potatoes)

LINK TO All recipes Irish boiled dinner

Irish Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb

LINK TO the BBC's Stuffed_shoulder_of_lamb with video

Steak and Potato Pie
(recipe says it is English but it is Irish, too)