Mince and tatties is a Scottish dish which consists of ground beef and mashed potato. Other vegetables or thickening agents are sometimes added to the dish as well. The dish is also part of Jamaican cuisine, having been introduced to the island by Scottish immigrants to Jamaica during the 18th and 19th centuries, and was frequently served as part of school meals in Scotland during the 20th century.
There is no set recipe or form of cooking and large variations can occur from cook to cook. Essentially the dish consists of varying amounts of minced beef, onions, carrots or other root vegetables, seasoning and stock.[1] Some cooks add thickening agents such as flour, oatmealorcornflour.[1][2]
Despite concerns that British people are no longer eating traditional dishes,[3] mince and tatties remains popular in Scotland. A survey by the Scottish Daily Express in 2009 found that it was the most popular Scottish dish, with a third of respondents saying that they eat mince and tatties once a week. This placed it above other dishes such as smoked salmon, haggis, Scotch pies and Scotch broth.[4] An annual competition is held in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull to determine the best mince and tatties.[5][6]
Mince and tatties is well known for being used historically in school canteens,[7] where the quality of the ingredients and the ability to feed a large number of children made it popular.[8] In recent years, there have been attempts by some to modernise[clarification needed] the dish, which resulted in it appearing on Time Out magazine's list of the top 100 dishes available in London in 2012. The version from the Dean Street Townhouse restaurant placed on the best of British section of the list.[9]
