Aberdeen’s food scene has been recently reinvigorated with vegan restaurants and zero-waste spaces popping up alongside a diverse range of delicious options from around the world that have now been firmly incorporated into the city’s culinary map.

We urge you to dive in and explore them all when you study abroad in the Granite City of northeast Scotland, but don’t miss our top five eats below:

1.    BUTTERIES. These traditional buttery rolls, also affectionately referred to as “rowies”, are melt-in-your-mouth flaky and rich with layers like croissants (but flattened) and are often enjoyed with a cup of tea for breakfast. They are eaten plain, with jam or marmalade, or even with extra butter. Some people even add savory toppings. They’re best enjoyed straight out of the oven! They were invented in Aberdeenshire so fisherman could take them out to sea because they have a longer shelf life than bread and are substantial enough to provide the energy needed for long days on the boats.

2.    SCOTCH BROTH. One of Scotland’s oldest and most famous dishes, Scotch Broth, is served across the country. It has many variations, but traditionally it includes mutton (Iamb), pearl barley and a whole bunch of different veggies like onions, leeks, peas, carrots and more. It’s one of those meals that people always say tastes better the next day when all of the flavors have mingled a bit longer. A comfort food, it makes a great warming treat for winter study abroaders and is especially popular on Burns Night (which celebrates the country’s national poet Robert Burns on his birthday, January 25).

3.    FISH & CHIPS. As a coastal city, Aberdeen serves up some of the freshest fish you can find, and of course chips are the best complement to this traditional and iconic meal! For a special treat (when the parents visit?), try The Silver Darling for locally caught fish and panoramic views from the Footdee harbor. If you want to cook your own fish, you’re in for a treat too. Instead of supermarkets, buy from the local fishmongers who head to the markets at Peterhead early in the morning to pick from the best of the fishing boat hauls.

4.    CAMBUS O’MAY. Cheese! This local delight is traditionally made from raw cow’s milk in Aberdeenshire. Curds are cut and pressed into muslin-lined molds by hand just like in the original farmhouse recipe. It’s mouth-wateringly delicious, sharp, rustic, nutty, and creamy. Try it on a Scottish oatcake!

5.    SCOTCH PIES. Like many traditional foods, the double-crusted Scotch pies had humble beginnings as many as 500 years ago, filled with mutton that was easy to find and minced to disguise its toughness. This was “working men’s food”. Now they’re more likely to be filled with higher quality meat like beef and are a staple easy-to-eat snack at a soccer game. Keep an eye open for the World Scotch Pie Championships, held annually by the Scottish Bakers trade association since 1999. The competition winner is awarded a Scotch pie trophy.

There are many other delicious, interesting and unusual foods to try when you study abroad in Aberdeen: skirlie (toasted oatmeal and chopped onions sautéed in fat), cullen skink (a creamy fish soup), finnan haddie (smoked haddock), stovies (a potato dish), angus beef from local cattle, haggis (if you dare), and deep-fried mars bars (pretty self-explanatory).

Have pics of something you’ve eaten abroad that you can’t easily find at home? Tag us on Instagram at @ASAStudyAbroad or #AwayWithASA. We’d love to see!