Potatoes have been grown in Scotland since the 17th century and continue to
play a major part in today's Scottish diet. But unlike our forebears we are
not entirely dependent on the humble tattie. This, sadly, was not the case in
the mid-18th century where especially in the Highlands and Islands the entire
population was dependent on the high yield per acre provided by potatoes. A
growing population allied to a shortage of arable land, caused through the
loss of vast acres of cultivation following the early stages of the Highland
Clearances, meant that the potato was essential in maintaining
communities. This pressure on arable land resulted in little else being grown
to sustain the population. Thus in Scotland, as in Ireland, the sudden
appearance of potato blight in 1845-1846 spelt disaster. The Scottish
historian James Hunter has described the catastrophe as ' a human tragedy
unparalleled in modern Scottish history'. And indeed it was. Compared to
Ireland, the cost in human lives was small but in terms of further clearances
and mass emigration it a blow from which the Highlands has never recovered.
The Historian James Halliday well summed up this tragedy - 'But the Atlantic
was wide, and the journey for most was for ever. The people who went,
exploited, rejected and betrayed, suffered all the mental sorrows and physical
hardships which their exile brought. The country from which they were evicted
suffered to. Scotland lost half her heritage and the desolution which then
began has never found a remedy.' ( from '
Scotland
: A Concise History' ). The main ingredients for this weeks recipe are two
foodstuffs closely associated with Scotland - oatmeal and potatoes. So when
you make and enjoy Potato and Oatmeal Cakes, please give a thought to our
forebears in the mid-18th century for whom the tattie was no luxury but
essential for their very existense and who paid a high price for its failure.
Boil and drain thoroughly some potatoes . Shake them well to get them dry and
mealy, and mash until there are no lumps left. Add enough fine oatmeal to make
a rolling consistency and add a little salt if necessary. Roll out on a well
floured board, prick with a fork and cut in four. Cook, first on one side and
then on the other on a hot girdle.
