Scotland + cucumber

whatismyname

I adore living in Scotland, I really, really do.

But one of the trivial things that's always bugged me about Scotland is that they put cucumber on so much more stuff than they do in Ireland (or at least from what I remember).

Burgers, salads, wraps, all kinds of stuff, that to me works so much better without cucumber.

I've always wondered if this bugs anyone else too.

Are you a fellow Irish person living in Scotland who doesn't like cucumber and also get annoyed by how much food has cucumber in it?

Maybe you love cucumber, and that's why you stay living in Scotland.

Maybe you've no real opinion either way, and just think I'm very weird (I am, btw, it's the best way to be).

So fellow Irish folk in the lovely Scotland, what is your opinion on the very controversial topic of cucumber?

NoCrackHaving

I can't say I've honestly ever noticed to be honest although I know they are grown an awful lot more by farmers in Scotland than in Ireland so maybe that's why

I see you dislike cucumber nearly as much as I dislike people who describe themselves as weird

munchkin_utd

be happy its just cucumber.
In Germany they sneak gherkins into everything, sometimes chopping them up and mixing with mayonnaise in a sambo so its impossible to pick them out. (and at that its not even proper mayonaise, its some Danish white gloop called "remoulade")

After 15 years I'm getting to accept cucumber in small measures, but gherkins are proper evil bastarding yokes.

Bebo stunnah

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

I can't say I've honestly ever noticed to be honest although I know they are grown an awful lot more by farmers in Scotland than in Ireland so maybe that's why

I have the same opinion as you, acn't say that I've noticed any in the 2 weeks I've been here. What I have noticed is how reliant on deep frying they seem to be here to cook food. Whatever about the stereotypical battered Mars bar, I spotted a whole black pudding that was battered and deep fried! Another unhealthy nugget I found was a half pizza; a deep fried pizza half, or a cripy pizza; which is the same only its battered!

Have to agree with munchkin utd, whatever youre hate for cucumbers, gherkins are the work of the devil. They don't even have to be on/in your food, just near them and they ruin it!

NoCrackHaving

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

I have the same opinion as you, acn't say that I've noticed any in the 2 weeks I've been here. What I have noticed is how reliant on deep frying they seem to be here to cook food. Whatever about the stereotypical battered Mars bar, I spotted a whole black pudding that was battered and deep fried! Another unhealthy nugget I found was a half pizza; a deep fried pizza half, or a cripy pizza; which is the same only its battered!

Have to agree with munchkin utd, whatever youre hate for cucumbers, gherkins are the work of the devil. They don't even have to be on/in your food, just near them and they ruin it!

Well Scotland didn't get the title the Sick Man of Europe for its healthy eating habits. It is something I've noticed compared to even England and Ireland (both countries not exactly known for healthy eating habits) that the diet of a lot of Scottish people is really, really poor. Considering the amount of excellent agricultural and fisheries produce they have and very good prices in greengrocers and the likes of Lidl there's really no excuse for why it's so bad.

jimmii

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Well Scotland didn't get the title the Sick Man of Europe for its healthy eating habits. It is something I've noticed compared to even England and Ireland (both countries not exactly known for healthy eating habits) that the diet of a lot of Scottish people is really, really poor. Considering the amount of excellent agricultural and fisheries produce they have and very good prices in greengrocers and the likes of Lidl there's really no excuse for why it's so bad.

Its unreal! The one place you can be sure to see a queue at lunch is at Greggs! I thought it was bad enough in Ireland with the chicken rolls but that's nothing compared to the daily sausage roll and steak bake and the amount of kids getting chipper for lunch is shocking!

Fysh

jimmii wrote: »

Its unreal! The one place you can be sure to see a queue at lunch is at Greggs! I thought it was bad enough in Ireland with the chicken rolls but that's nothing compared to the daily sausage roll and steak bake and the amount of kids getting chipper for lunch is shocking!

I worked for a crowd out in the South Gyle industrial estate for a while and was pretty taken aback by this as well. There were a couple of schools nearby and the closest to decent food available around there was the Chinese takeaway van. Greggs and the chip van were significantly more popular, though. (The oddest thing to me was that a lot of the guys I worked with would buy lunch from Greggs every day rather than bring a packed lunch...)

NoCrackHaving

jimmii wrote: »

Its unreal! The one place you can be sure to see a queue at lunch is at Greggs! I thought it was bad enough in Ireland with the chicken rolls but that's nothing compared to the daily sausage roll and steak bake and the amount of kids getting chipper for lunch is shocking!

Sure I even see the local kids from the nearest secondary school all stopping into the co-op to buy chocolate and crisps for their breakfast, their fecking breakfast:eek:

The odd thing though is you can eat relatively healthy at Greggs, they do have okayish sandwich options but like you say it's always sausage rolls and steak bakes that people queue up for.

NoCrackHaving

Fysh wrote: »

(The oddest thing to me was that a lot of the guys I worked with would buy lunch from Greggs every day rather than bring a packed lunch...)

Money wise it just doesn't make sense does it? I'm one of only two people in my office who brings a packed lunch in.

Fysh

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Money wise it just doesn't make sense does it? I'm one of only two people in my office who brings a packed lunch in.

I know this sounds poncy, but damnit, if I'm paying to get lunch somewhere then it either needs to be comparable to what I could bring in from home or sufficiently good to justify its cost. None of the stuff I saw on offer at that particular Greggs met either criteria. Now, La Favorita pizzas on the other hand...

jimmii

Fysh wrote: »

I know this sounds poncy, but damnit, if I'm paying to get lunch somewhere then it either needs to be comparable to what I could bring in from home or sufficiently good to justify its cost. None of the stuff I saw on offer at that particular Greggs met either criteria. Now, La Favorita pizzas on the other hand...

La Favorita mmmm!

jimmii

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Sure I even see the local kids from the nearest secondary school all stopping into the co-op to buy chocolate and crisps for their breakfast, their fecking breakfast:eek:

The odd thing though is you can eat relatively healthy at Greggs, they do have okayish sandwich options but like you say it's always sausage rolls and steak bakes that people queue up for.

Yeh noticed that today when I was on my way in kids coming out of Nisa with a pack of crisps on their way in. Not even a regular pack but one of those large sharer packs! Where I am working there's a couple of nice delis and they end up being the onky place you can go without a queue once it hits ten past one but they're the nicest anywhere a touch too dear for the kids though I guess nae sandwich for £2 in them!

NoCrackHaving

Fysh wrote: »

I know this sounds poncy, but damnit, if I'm paying to get lunch somewhere then it either needs to be comparable to what I could bring in from home or sufficiently good to justify its cost. None of the stuff I saw on offer at that particular Greggs met either criteria. Now, La Favorita pizzas on the other hand...

La Fav....nom nom nom

Bebo stunnah

jimmii wrote: »

La Favorita mmmm!

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

La Fav....nom nom nom

That good? I must try them out so, I've seen a few farts of bright yellow cars flying about the place with the name on the side.

La_Gordy

I was never given a cucumber wi ma tattie fritters.

jimmii

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

That good? I must try them out so, I've seen a few farts of bright yellow cars flying about the place with the name on the side.

I'm always happy when I see them doing catering at an event as I know its an easy pick! To be honest I am not really that big a pizza fan but its as good a pizza as any imo so if I do have pizza that would be the pizza I want to have!

Bebo stunnah

That's my next thing to try so! Just to give my (extremely limited knowledge) opinion about a great pizza is in Caffe Centro on George st, just off Hannover st in Edinburgh. Cracking pizza and calzone. haven't got anyting with cucumber in there... :pac:

Fysh

On the topic of good pizza, Quattro Zero on Queensferry Street have always provided excellent pizza in my experience

Esto Fidelis

I love gherkin ;-)

NoCrackHaving

Fysh wrote: »

On the topic of good pizza, Quattro Zero on Queensferry Street have always provided excellent pizza in my experience

Also Oregano on Leith Walk!

Banjoxed

Bar Napoli on Hanover Street. Best Italian in Edinburgh, and that's saying something.

razorblunt

That place on Queensferry Street is very good alright, I think they might be on Deliveroo too.
I'm still undecided on La Favorita, had it twice, second time was better than the first, will have to make it a best out of 5 I think!

OneColdHand

If anyone is in Bruntsfield area, Osterio del la Tempo Perso has great italian food.

razorblunt

OneColdHand wrote: »

If anyone is in Bruntsfield area, Osterio del la Tempo Perso has great italian food.

I that the place at the corner by the Y junction or the red front restaurant across from Montpelliers?

Nonna's is supposed to be fantastic too.

OneColdHand

razorblunt wrote: »

I that the place at the corner by the Y junction or the red front restaurant across from Montpelliers?

Nonna's is supposed to be fantastic too.

Yes, that's the one.

Never been to Nonna's but have also heard it's nice.

Also in that area, I thoroughly recommend Three Birds. Not italian, but the food is quite literally, amazing.

razorblunt

Three Birds is a great restaurant, always changing the menu and the staff are always brilliant. They have a place over by Newington too called The Apiary.

I'll have to try a few of the Bruntsfield Italians, still to find my favourite.

jimmii

Anyone got any tips for places to eat around East Lothian at all? Nice to go for a drive in the area but can't seem to find anywhere that nice to pop into for food!

OneColdHand

jimmii wrote: »

Anyone got any tips for places to eat around East Lothian at all? Nice to go for a drive in the area but can't seem to find anywhere that nice to pop into for food!

Herringbone in North Berwick is a nice spot for lunch.
http://www.theherringbone.co.uk/

jimmii

OneColdHand wrote: »

Herringbone in North Berwick is a nice spot for lunch.
http://www.theherringbone.co.uk/

Just started working in North Berwick so that's handy! That menu looks tasty will definitely be popping in there soon cheers!

OneColdHand

jimmii wrote: »

Just started working in North Berwick so that's handy! That menu looks tasty will definitely be popping in there soon cheers!

Good stuff, will you be moving out that way?

jimmii

OneColdHand wrote: »

Good stuff, will you be moving out that way?

We're in Prestonpans so nice little drive down the coast road! At some point I can see us moving further down that way but for now we prefer to not be any further from the city centre its less than 15 minutes to Waverley but still far enough out to be rural enough. Nice to be able to afford a sea view too!

SM01

I must be the only person to find LA favorita overrated. Nice but nothing special. Oregano on Leith Walk though is great.

razorblunt

I'd probably agree, better than the chain places but I've not gone running back for one.

Went to the new bar in the West End on Saturday, Voyage of Bucks (where Bert's used to be on William Street). Really good, handy for a bit of food too down that end of town if you're having a few pints and don't want to move on.

Ragnar Lothbrok

Is the cucumber deep-fried too?

jimmii

Ragnar Lothbrok wrote: »

Is the cucumber deep-fried too?

I'm sure you could get that done if you wanted. There's not much you cannae get battered here.

Ragnar Lothbrok

I love cucumber. My second favourite salad food after celery.

This thread has for some strange reason got me looking into cucumbers on the internet and apparently they're very beneficial to your health, and can even help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer!

So, if the Scottish people consume loads of cucumbers in their wraps, sandwiches etc, perhaps they unwittingly have a very healthy diet or at least the valiant cucumber balances out the adverse effects of deep fried haggis etc

Ragnar Lothbrok

Read more about the health benefits of under-rated and oft-maligned cucumber here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42

*God, I must be really bored today.

Bebo stunnah

I bought a kebab yesterday in a place off Haymarket and when I got home I found that it had cucumber in it! It's the first time I've ever seen it in a kebab. Imediately thought of this thread And to be fair it worked really well in it!