[omegaisme]

The Scottish Highlanders based their diet, first

...

, on the raw milk of their herds. They kept large herds of small, agile cattle, and large herds of tiny sheep, and large herds of goats. All of these animals produced milk, which was drunk and added to porridges raw, and made into raw cheese and raw butter. The cheese and butter were used at all times, but especially in the harsh, cold winters.

The Scottish Highlanders diet varied with the seasons. During the spring and summer, wild game of all kinds, including the native red deer, were hunted and eaten. Fresh fish was a vital part of the diet during these seasons, as the many rivers and streams were rich with salmon and many other kinds of wild fish. Beef was not eaten during good weather, which led some travelers to mistakenly conclude that the Scottish Highlanders did not eat beef.

During the fall, many cattle, sheep, and goats were killed, and their meat salted to provide meat during the cold part of the fall and during the long winter. Every part of the animal was used for food, including all the internal organs. The famous Scottish dish known as Haggis, made from innards and oatmeal cooked in the stomach of a sheep, originated in the Highlands. Few vegetables were available (though onions and turnips could be found in season, along with some wild vegetables, such as nettles). The main fruit available were wild berries, in season.

The only grains that could be grown in the Highlands were barley and oats, which were made into breads, porridges, and cakes. Sugar was largely unavailable, though some honey could be found. Grains were usually eaten with raw milk, raw butter, or raw cheese, or all of them. Oats were dried and carried in a pouch in wartime as a survival food. (c)