The Glasgow Food and Drink

The Atypical Glaswegian Food and Drink 

When I moved to Glasgow, all I knew was that the Scottish are famous for their Whiskey and that they clearly like Greggs since you see it on like every street. 

But there is so much more to know, and if you are going to study in Glasgow (or Scotland) and want to have a clue about what your friends are talking about or ordering at a bar, then keep reading. I have to admit that I was not prepared in terms of their culture but a year has passed and I learned a lot! I titled this blog post "The Glasgow Food and Drink" because I learned these things through my University friends while studying in Glasgow; meaning that the popularity of having a VK could be totally different in Edinburgh or Aberdeen, so as far as I know, this applies to Glasgow!

Food

Gregg's Sausage Roll

Probably one of the most popular things here is Gregg's Sausage Roll. It costs only £1 and is exactly what it says it is: sausage in a roll. It is not the most favourable thing in the world and could definitely use some salt and pepper, but if you are hungry for a snack and don't want to spend much, this is definitely worth trying. They also have a vegan version, which tastes remarkably similar to the original! 

Haggis 

I don’t even know where to begin. Haggis looks like ground beef (or mince) but its sheep’s pluck (which is heart, liver, and lungs) and is eaten with mashed potatoes or veggies. If you have a sensitive stomach: beware. The taste of it is actually not the worst… but it just does not sit well in your tummy if you are sensitive - or a foreigner like myself. My swiss bestie and I went to her auntie who lives here in Glasgow and she made Haggis (also the vegetarian version), and let’s just say that we didn’t leave halls the next day. We laugh about it now, but we will never go near that dish again. PS: Haggis is popular all over Scotland obviously, not just in Glasgow. 

Drink

Iron Bru

Iron bru is the orange drink with a blue label that you will see in every meal deal in supermarkets, in Poundland, or just about anywhere. A lot of people describe it as Scotland's national drink. 

Basically, it’s a bubblegum flavored soft drink that you can get everywhere. It’s also available sugar free but if you ask my foreign self, it’s disgusting no matter how little sugar there is! Supposedly it is the best thing to cure a hangover – I have yet to try that. 

But definitely try it if you come here, you are missing out otherwise. 

VK 

VK is a drink that comes in a glass beer looking bottle and its vodka with sparking fruit flavor. You can get flavors anywhere from watermelon to apple and mango. If you are foreign I feel like this is something you are definitely not gonna know and worth trying. They are only £1 in the Strathclyde Student Union and probably not much more in other bars, which is why they are so popular here. The danger is that they don’t taste like alcohol at all and more like a sweet soft drink – so just beware! 

It looks like this green drink in my hand ;)

Cider 

Strongbow Dark fruit cider (or other brands and flavors) is another really popular drink here. Whether you get this at a bar, or you buy the cans to have in your University flat, it will be a drink you see all over the place. Reason being that they are not too expensive, they have a nice flavor where the alcohol is not too overpowering and it’s less boring than your average beer.