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Scottish Deep-Fried Candy BarHome >> Experiences
Text-only version printed fromhttp://FXcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=103 At last a solution to social security deficits. Scotland, a beautiful small European country, is blissfully free of ageing populations. The Scots die young and don't cling on their pensions for decades like Japanese centenaires, sucking the blood of younger generations. What's their secret? The Scottish Diet, an age-old combination low in fresh fruits and vegetables and high in confectionery, fat enriched meat products, sweet and salty snacks accompanied by generous amounts of sugary drinks and alcohol. The golden rule of the Scottish diet is that fat, sugar and alcohol should each account for at least 30% of your daily calorie intake. You may eat one serving of fruits per week, preferably as jams or preserves. One of the best example of this wonderfully nutritious diet is Scotland's National Dish, the deep-fried Mars bar. The owner of Fish-and-chips «Café Piccante» in Edinburgh let me into his kitchen while he made one. Selim tests the batter before dipping the Mars bar he freshly fished from the shelf behind him. One batter fits all - fish, chips and Mars bars. That's the secret for a really tasty deep-fried Mars bar. A generous coating of batter will help the candy bar soak up the frying oil needed to balance the snack's nutritional value. The candy bar is delicately immersed in a huge vat of boiling oil where it will swim with the fishes -and the chips. After a few minutes the batter is crisp and the chocolate tender. With a dotted spoon and a little legerdemain, Selim fishes the snack, making sure not to include any fish, chips, pizza or cheeseburger floating in the oil. Do not drain it to ensure as much oil stays on the bar to ensure nutritional balance under the principles of the Scottish Diet. Serve while hot. Local gourmets sprinkle the bar with malt vinegar. The batter is crisp and kept all of the juicy contents inside. What a treat! Enjoy and don't forget to drink a glass of whisky for a balanced meal. Eit one a di an dei yong and hapee
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91 Comments
- #1
- Comment by Lyra
So did it taste good? That's what we really want to know. They just opened an "authentic" Scottish Fish and Chips fry place in Virginia that serves these but I haven't made it there yet.- #2
- Answered by fx
The Mars bar tastes OK if you get beyond the fattiness, but I also tried a Snickers and it wasn't all that good. Scotland has much more to offer than its deep-fried foods fortunately.- #3
- Comment by Saxit
So when do we get to see a recipe of Haggis? ;)- #4
- Comment by tasneem
Are you really serious about the Scottish diet? Do these people really think that way about their life that one has to eat and die young. I can't believe this.- #5
- Comment by Beatrice
You may wish to advise your American fans that they will need to substitute a Milky Way to get the same results in the US. For some reason, the two bars got their names crossed when Mars marketed them. I went to a Scottish boarding school when young, and it took me 4 years to work off the results and get back to my svelte California figure! My favorite was a wonder called "Pink Pudding."- #6
- Answered by fx
Beatrice, I am glad to heart you recovered from the Scottish diet. The Californians are not as nice as the Scots when it comes to sparing us young generations from having to support a growing number of healthy senior citizens!- #7
- Comment by Beatrice
Despite my unfortunate experience, you surely are aware of Scotland's long history of really good French-influenced receipts acquired during the exile of Bonny Prince Charlie... cock-a-leekie soup, various flummeries... Like many European countries, they have tried to regain their "slow food" roots to get back to those old honest foods. But years of the diet you mention are causing dire health consequences, it's true.- #8
- Comment by parshu narayanan
Ha, ha, very well written and interesting piece. Made me feel fascinated and ill at the same time.:-)- #9
- Comment by Penny Lane
Did you really eat this? I'm impressed!- #10
- Comment by Alison
I recently moved back to Scotland after being away for around 10 years and was truly shocked to see how fat the population had got in such a short time, the UK is now the second fattest country in the world, blubber monsters galore! Not really surprising if people eat like this however. I was really surprised to find out that the blame for deep fried pizza could be shifted to the Italians, deep fried Mars bar shame rests here though. If your travels bring to Scotland again FX I recommend Cullen Skink, which is pretty delicious fairly good for you too.- #11
- Answered by fx
I guess if you work outdoors in the Highlands or fishing on the Islands, such nutritious food can definitely be warranted. You'll to burn these calories off just to fight the cold! But as Scots grow more sedentary they might want to change their diet. Thoroughly nice people though, I'd love to see them leave longer.- #12
- Comment by Mr Cool
Omg The scotish diet? No chance the Scots don't eat this on a daily basis.This is not a cafe its a chippy where people get take aways perhaps once every week or so The Scots eat vegetables and is the best climate in the world for growing strawberrysDont listen to this..Scotish food is healthy and Very nice, This is not even scotish its English- #13
- Comment by Liz
Ha, ha, ha! I grew up in Scotland & found this article hilarious! I do joke with my friends about the fact that it's no wonder heart disease is so prevalent in Scotland. My favourite sweet to make is called tablet & the recipe calls for 2lbs of sugar! Great stuff.- #14
- Comment by Alberto Marin
Hey guys, I think it's cancerous!!Eat mediterranean!!- #15
- Answered by fx
Indeed, Scottish food exceeds even the exacting stipulations of the Scottish Diet.- #16
- Comment by liam Kerr
Yes some people have a pretty poor diet in scotland, but this is not true of the whole nation. Thankfully i do not picture you eating toblerone with a swiss army knife to the sound of a cuckoo clock. Stereotypes are great aren't they?- #17
- Comment by chris
I think your being a wee bit unfair in your comments and smugly racist. Yeah so we do have a fairly low average life expectancy but don't tar everyone with the same brush. Also bit unfair making things up, and by the way they taste rank!- #18
- Comment by Vernon Davis
AWESOME!!!- #19
- Comment by Matt Dorian
I've lived in Scotland all my life, and I love it here. I've only ever eaten two deep-fried mars bars, and both times were a seriously great experience. I'll be waiting another year at least (as I always do, haha) before having another one. I must say, I love them. I want to say don't tar all Scottish people with the same brush, but this article really made me laugh. Scots, let's show everyone why we're known as the nation that can laugh with other nations about ourselves, and also be proud of this heart-stopping dish we've created!P.S. It's getting quite difficult to find somewhere that will deep fry a Mars Bar for you in Glasgow these days...- #20
- Comment by Anji
They're not just Scottish! I live on the south coast of England and a fair few of the chippies around here do them as well. :D- #21
- Comment by Jerry
Looks like something that came out my ARSH which means the scots will love it.- #22
- Answered by fx
Chris by the way I love the Scots and they are the first to make fun of their own food. For good measure I wrote two articles about Swiss deep-fried specialties for a healthy dose of my own medicine!- #23
- Answered by fx
Matt thanks for visiting, I am pleased a Scot liked my article! You are quite right that finding this specialty is quite difficult in Glasgow and several fish-and-chips owners looked horrified when I asked them about deep-fried candy bars! The man at Café Piccante is from Istanbul if it's any help. Very nice chap by the way!- #24
- Answered by fx
Anji, what other calorie-bombs do they make in your part of England, aside from deep-fried candy bars? Thanks for visiting!- #25
- Comment by martin
I happen to be a scot, but for the life of me I have never tried the deep fried version of the candy bar but they are popular, I have had deep fried pizza tho and they are crunchy for the most part, hehe- #26
- Comment by fatbloke
It looks American to me...- #27
- Answered by fx
Martin, you owe it to yourself to pay your respect to the Deep-Fried Mars Bar at least once in your life. It deserves a fair place in the pantheon of Scottish desserts!- #28
- Comment by choco123
I cannot believe some of you people! I am a Scottish teenager who has lived here all my life (in Glasgow as well), I have never tried a deep-fried mars bar- in fact, go into practically any chipshop in Glasgow and ask for one and they will refuse to give you one because they know just how bad they are for you! The age expectancy for people in Scotland is actually the same as that in America, and as for weight issues, yes I will say that I see a lot of fat people walking down the street, but I am very proud of being very slim and following a healthy diet, as do all of my family and friends, so I don't think that you can judge us and say that we are a nation of fat people when America is even worse!- #29
- Answered by fx
Choco, you are right that I had to hunt down the deep-fried mars bar in many chip shops before finding one. Nobody said the Scots were fat. They eat a fair amount of fatty foods but the lifestyle and the weather warrants it more than it might in Florida, may be. Apart from the waist, this diet influences health. As for life expectancy you should check the Scottish Surgeon General report called 'The Scottish Diet - a problem that concerns us all' to look at the figures.- #30
- Comment by NoPunyNerd
Hey, Scots, you aren't alone in your penchant for deep fried junk food ... deep fried candy bars (typically Snickers) are a staple food at carnivals and festivals in the US southern states, as are deep fried Twinkies, a tubular cake thingie with a creamy filling, and deep fried Oreos, a sandwich of chocolate cookies with a white cream filling. Personally, though, I'm partial to deep fried dill pickle slices dipped in ranch dressing. We're talking serious deliciousness.- #31
- Answered by fx
NoPunyNerd thanks for visiting! Let me know if you can get pictures of these Southern deep-fried delicacies, I'd love to make an article!- #32
- Comment by SorryMom
It's so clean you can eat off the floor.- #33
- Comment by michael
Fried Mars Bars is a real gourmet item - however if you dip it in marmite and then into some mashed sardines, sprinkle with "thousands & ones", roll in breadcrumbs, before dipping in to the batter,you will experience blissful moments! ( serve alongside a large paper bag, the type given in aircraft!)- #34
- Comment by Toasty Aiuto
I had one of these in Edinburgh this spring. It was glorious. Even my wife, who doesn't like Mars bars or greasy food thought it was exceptionally good. We split the first one, and ended up getting a second.- #35
- Answered by fx
Michael, your dish sounds like coming straight out of Jerome Bosch's Hell!- #36
- Comment by stephen
I've lived in scotland all my life and I've never tryed one but after reading this I am goin to get one tomorrow I was born and lived in inverness all my life (capital of the highlands) I would say im unhealthy when im stoned I can see my self eating 30 bags of crisps in a row and im not even fat (yet) but I dont think its food that gives us scots a shorter life I think its us and not being able to say no to drink!but f**k it you only live once!
- #37
- Comment by Jody
Not as bad as one might think, no worse than a typical Scottish/English Breakfast. But didn't this traditionally really come about from the Scots who worked in the Middle East where such delicacies of sweet and fried are common? Let's not blame the Scots for this. Every culture has such crazy delicacies included the snooty neighbors to the south of Scotland. Climb a few Mts in Scotland and you'll work it off.- #38
- Answered by fx
Jody, you are right, Scottish deep-fried delicacies are diet food compared to Middle Eastern deep-fried desserts, and the Scots traditionally had ample opportunities to exercise in their beautiful outdoors!- #39
- Comment by pakita
Pleasepleasepease can someone tell me of a few places to get a deep-fried Mars bar in Glasgow? It's one of my very favourite chocolate bars and I am dying to try one. I'll be spending a couple of days in Glasgow in the near future so it's now or never...- #40
- Comment by Katy
In response to Alison's post, with nasty comments referring to people here as "blubber monsters", we will be happy if you never bother visiting again.ps. Id rather be friends with a nice "blubber monster" than someone as nasty as you.
- #41
- Comment by aptronym
Poor Selim.- #42
- Comment by graeme
hi, i am scottish, and i dunno where you are from but you have no idea about scotland do you? the deep fried mars bar is not our national dish, it is haggis actually, and if you where meaning in terms of take away food then you will find it is fish and chips! and you say we have a crap diet? yea we drink alot, hey atleast we can handle it. but i think you should check out America!! have you seen the shit they eat!!- #43
- Comment by emjoi
Apart from the fact that it's got some fried batter around it, this doesn't sound that fattening really. Not much worse than just eating a Mars Bar.The fat doesn't sink into the chocolate, I assume, like it does into chips.
The main effect would be that the chocolate is a molten goo.
- #44
- Answered by fx
Emjoi, this article was nominated Health Food of the Day so I guess you're right!- #45
- Comment by Nas
In Glasgow many years ago I thought I heard the lady in front of me ask for a Fried Mars Bar. Nah, must have heard wrong - probably the accent I thought! And then I saw the Glaswegian version of Selim open a Mars Bar, dip into batter and fry it - just like your pics. I recalled a news article from a couple days earlier where Scottish had one of the highest heart disease statistics in Europe, and wondered if there was a connection. Healthy?The fried mars bar did not appeal then and still do not, but your commentary is hilarious. The world can learn a lot about pensions - maybe the fried mars bars can be subsidised by tax-payers where pensions are a real problem!
..... and to my Scottish friends, I'm just teasing. As a Londoner, I can say you are amongst the friendlist and nicest people in the UK, Europe and probably anywhere. And it that down to the mars bars, then keep it going :-)
Great site btw!
- #46
- Answered by fx
Nas, thanks for visiting and please resist eating them lest you become yourself another pension fund statistic!- #47
- Comment by bill martin
As an exile Scot my ideal meal is a haggis supper, that is haggis and chips deep-fried and mars bar and choc ice deep-fried of course as I can not get it England does Selim do mail order?- #48
- Answered by fx
I'll ask Selim to put one deep-fried mars bar in the mail out to you!- #49
- Comment by Margaret
Our local fish and chip shop here in Melbourne sold deep-fried mars bars and my children loved them. Unfortunately the shop closed down and now my daughter has to travel far and wide making quite a spectacle of herself trying to track down this elusive delicacy. Some shops do have them on the menu but others, upon request look at you as though you are from another planet. It must be genetic as although I was born in Scotland my children were born and bred in Australia. I myself had never tried one until they started buying them. I couldn't eat a whole one as they are too rich but tasty never the less. I loved your article. It made me feel quite homesick.- #50
- Answered by fx
Margaret, how about you make it at home? It will lack the fish smell, but hey, who will miss that? All you need is a pot full of boiling oil, the mars bars and a little batter made with milk, flour and one egg. Then you'll be instantly voted Mom of the year!- #51
- Comment by Judith Basham
The Scottish Parliament is pushing through free hot lunches for children in Scotland to improve their diets and health, so deep fat fried Mars Bars is not a figment of someone’s imagination. The real tragedy is that this burden will lie on the taxpayer to fund - primarily those in England who are already contributing to Scotland’s free university tuition, free hospital parking and many other freebies which are not available in England. Perhaps it would be wiser to let the Scottish choose their own diet at their own expense and wait for the outcome.- #52
- Answered by fx
Judith, the Scots have all my sympathy and support to try and change their food culture, myself I come from a part of Switzerland with a higher-than-average premature death rate due to our diet, and I understand how difficult it is to change a people's culinary habits. The Scots definitely deserve to live longer than 50!- #53
- Comment by conpanbear
I used to enjoy a good deep-fried Mars bar on occasion as a child when I lived in Adelaide, Australia. There was a fish 'n' chip shop only a 5 min walk away who did a fantastic one. Since moving to Melbourne 4 years ago, I don't think I'd had one... but I just cooked my own at home just a moment ago!! I must say, I got a bit deep-fry-happy, and I can tell you that Tim Tams don't work so well, but the nutty Boost bars are an absolute must-try!!- #55
- Comment by Robert McArthur
Very funny articles. Though I have to say that I'm scottish and have never tried a deep-fried mars bar nor pizza in my life, nor do I know anyone who has. I think it's promoted mainly for the american tourists ;)on another note - scottish seafood is absolutely delicious. And so is haggis, contrary to popular belief. (there are traditional equivalents to haggis in many european countries but for some reason the scottish one seems to be cause of laughter). All I'll say is, don't knock it til you try it!- #57
- Comment by Jenny
As an English girl living in Edinburgh I have taken many a visitor to Cafe Piccante to savour the joy of the deep fried Mars bar!This article had my flatmate and I in tears of laughter, you have a very English sense of humour FX!
- #59
- Comment by emma jones
Sounds nice, but it looks really disgusting and oily!!!- #61
- Comment by barbara
oh my God, I thought this was just an urban legend. That must have twice as many calories as a chip butty.Melted Mars bar is very nice poured hot onto vanilla icecream.
- #63
- Comment by barbara
aaaaaaargh! [clutches heart and keels over]- #65
- Comment by Aleksandar Žižić
James May: "I have had a bull's penis and a rotten shark's meat but I can't handle this!" :-)- #67
- Comment by Canadian Eh!
Loved the article, laughed like hell! I came across it when I was googling the recipe for a Deep Fried Mars Bar, which happens to be my son's favorite dessert at a local restaurant. I figured it would be more cost effective to make at home, they charge an arm and leg there. I just needed to know if it was the same batter I would use for my deep fried pickles (yes, I love these too). Of course everything is in moderation, and even though it probably sounds like it, I am not overweight.Wonderful that you are able to laugh at yourself and your heritage. I just love your style of writing and will bookmark this site and check back often. Life's too short, laugh like there's no tomorrow.
- #69
- Comment by Pastor Bentonit
Dear FX, let me just slightly correct you on one thing: it's *Staphylococcus aureus* (in italics; mmmmmkayyyyy, I'm after all a PhD in microbiology and I'm hereby officialy *outed*).Do check out my slightly different Boeuf Bourguignon recipe too. It's in Swedish but I think you'll get the hang of it. They're both good! The potato/celeriac mash is divine...
- #71
- Comment by RosyB
LOVE IT!! I'm a student in Edinburgh, and I only eat them when my friends from England and Wales come to visit, but they're SOOOOO GOOD!! There's a chip shop just round the corner from where I live that will deep fry anything - we got them to do skittles a few months ago. And their deep fried Crunchies are to die for!! :-D- #73
- Comment by eduin
The timeline needs addressed for this.Scotlands chippies have always differed from Englands in offering more than a turgid piece of cod and some horrific pies. The variety was wanted, remember the UK didnt have any real fast food other than chippies.
There's a basic historic reason for this. "No meat on a Friday" was a long standing Scottish tradition which the chippies exploited but left them with little else to support their business. This meant there was a market for more chippies in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK but less market off Fridays. Offering variety meant they might sell a bit more through the week but for no Scottish family would a chip supper every become a mainstay of the diet.
By the 70s you could get sausage, black pudding, white pudding, haggis, steak pie, scotch pie (called a mutton pie but actually made from beef!), hamburger and a few others depending on location.
Candy bars and pizza were most definately not on the menu.
During the 80s, starting in the West "supermarket pizza" (cheap pizza which when fried correctly does not absorb the fat) started to become a popular choice and spread. Also Smoked Sausage started to appear.
There were still no Candy bars on the menu.
The actual origin of the "deep fried mars bar" is a myth. It was almost certainly created for Americans and to respond to American myths which began on the Internet and were a response to the variety in Scottish chippies.
Because it became an internet meme, some Scots no doubt eat this now. Some chippies no doubt serve them (I have once seen a chippy with it on their price list). But it is by no means a "Scottish" dish. It has nothing to do with Scotland and everything to do with the Internet.
Having a Supper once a week isnt the reason for Scottish ill health, smoking, drinking and sedentary lifestyle, combined with pockets of drug addiction in areas of urban deprivation do.
But what the hey. Ive never had one, it probably does taste ok. Enjoy the myth. But that is all it is.
- #75
- Comment by British Food
Do these sell well ? I'd like to try one, but I live in the US, where good fish and chip shops are few and far between.- #76
- Comment by Ralf
Don't matter if its original scottish or not. It tastes more than ok. I tried one in the Highlands (listed as Dessert, concerning calories it is more than a full meal! :-) ). And it hasn't looked as compact as the one in the article. It was not really fatty. Probably this is depending on the dough and the temperature of the fat.It will not become my favorite dessert, but its worth the experience!
A guy in Edinburgh told me (laughing), that Scots are deepfrying EVERYTHING, even little children, when it`s necessary.... :-)
I really like scottish food. It IS totally different from the english!
Give it a try!
- #77
- Comment by Gertie
I'm not sure where anyone is getting deep fried candy bars or even deep fried mars bars as some sort of Scottish icon of food, seeing as they were a cult favorite in downtown Dallas dives and a favorite dessert in small town catfish restaurants in my childhood more than 30 years ago. They were touted then as a fav of Elvis, who's mama invented them just for him, but my granny said she remember them as a child, certainly well before his birth. I expect dipping chocolates and frying them is likely as old as deep frying.- #79
- Comment by Allan
Hi François-Xavier,This article made me laugh - I'm originally Scottish and your commentary for these pictures is great! They do like to fry things a lot is Scotland.
I have actually eaten one of these as my ex was italian and had heard the legend - it came out with a chip stuck to the side but we eat it all the same! - The craziest I ever had though was a deep fried macaroni pie - macaroni cheese... in a shortcrust pastry... in batter... then deep fried! & with chips!!! - Instant heart attack!! - I'm pleased to say I have a much healthier diet now!
Just wanted to say I'm really enjoying your website! After discovering it by chance. I'm very impressed with the the recepies and images too myself being a keen amature cook & photographer... your images certainly do make the food look tasty! Keep them coming!
- #80
- Comment by Simon
I have *never* seen or heard of anyone sprinkling vinegar on their Mars Bar in batter! Avoid the city centre chippies if you don't want to be overcharged for one of these.- #81
- Comment by suki
our local chippy does a selection of battered sweets, and the best is a battered freddo bar, i can polish off about 5 of these! i used to like special edition snickers cruncher in batter (they had rice cereal instead of the nougat) mmmmmmmm- #82
- Comment by syrka
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!Sorry, I'm Spanish and I can't conceive how can people eat so much fat at once.
- #83
- Comment by Lou
How naive are you??? I am Scottish born and bred and have never eaten a fried mars in my life!! Do you believe everything you read or hear? Believe me, popular belief is that huge portion sizes and fatty foods is a standard diet for a lot of americans, however we don't all stereotype. yes there are a few 'establishments' who self this concoction but I highly suspect the majority of the small sales are to naive visitors who are gullible enough to believe this is part of our every day diet!! Grow up and think about it.- #84
- Comment by Lauren
This article is ridiculous. As a Scot it made me very angry to see such a stereotype portrayed as the truth. I've never seen a shop that actually sells deep fried Mars bars, they are few and far between and mainly for tourists. Although a lot of Scots have a bad diet, many of us are very healthy. I'm especially disturbed that there seem to be a number of articles on deep-fried Scottish foods and none on traditional foods such as haggis or cullen skink.- #86
- Comment by Andy L
Honourable mention for the defining invention of the Scots' Irish Gaelic cousins.Hats off for Irish Coffee - the three essential food groups of sugar, fat and alcohol all in one place :-)
- #88
- Comment by ignorance
Nobody in Scotland eats these. Ridiculous article.- #90
- Comment by pat
syrka,i am in disbelief that you are in disbelief over the fat content of this item.YOU are from Spain!