Monday, June 04, 2007

oatcakes




I bet that if you google oatcakes it comes up with the Scottish hard biscuit top of the list - I'm gonna try it, bear with me.

Yep - it did. These horrible dry, foul tasting biscuits are not a patch on the staffordshire oatcake. When I first moved to Stoke On trent they were a bit of a revelation. At first, I didn't know what you did with them (except eat them of course). I used to have them cold with jam, then discovered that grilled with cheese was the traditional way. Wow! When I worked in Alsager we were right next door to an oatcake shop and people would have an entire breakfast on there, including beans (You needed a straw to eat it).


Now I've introduced them to my family who live in Scotland and even taken them to botswanna for my sister.

It's one of Staffordshire's finest inventions (of which there have been many).

I was wondering, how do you eat yours?

8 comments:

klahanie said...

Hi Emma-
Coming to you, live from the 'Oatcake Corral' in beautiful downtown Leek...
Wow! Staffordshire oatcakes eh? When I first had one I thought it was some kind of overgrown crepe.
Very nice, I must say, however they do seem to go stale quite fast.
"I was wondering, how do you eat yours?" Well Emma (do I detect a theme happening here?) I eat them with my fingers. I know, I know! I should really eat them separately!

Alec said...

With bacon, mainly. Occasionally cheese but that's only when someone else makes them.

I once knew a family who for Sunday lunch would sometimes have for dessert a stack of oatcakes with layers of golden syrup and more powered on top, then warmed in the oven. It would be served cut in a multi-layered wedge like a slice of gateau.

(By the way, Scottish oatcakes, in my opinion, are really tasty with the right sort of cheese...No butter, though.)

purkul said...

hya etcb,

oatcakes FAB FAB FAB!

i love oatckaes, have them with everythin, the thing is with oat cakes i'm never so sure how good they r for you, i know nothing you put in them is particularly a good idea but not sure if they're worse than bread!

i recommend using them as a wrap like ya would a tortilla! (not sure if i've spelled that right!)

Anyway...

chin up chicken!

Purkul
x

Garfield said...

hiya,
I like oatcake with some salad
I do like pancake a lot....
I don't have it for ages so have to get some! lol

Garfield

nana said...

hi its nana here
oatckakes love them with chees and tomatoes nice to here your going to be an aunty soon
you must miss your family i know i would if my family lived far away
going go now speek to you soon nana

pebbles-ricicle said...

Hi
being a scot myself i was slightly confused when coming across an oatcake they looked more like our crumpets and not like the hard biscuit type thing i was used to.
But i've gotten over the confusion and enjoy mine with cheese and brown sauce. mmmmmmm

x

Anonymous said...

i have lived in North Stafordshire for around 7 years and is 1 of the yumiest regional delicacies to be found.

Another delicacy asociated with North Stafordshire is Lobby, Lobby is a rich stew with lumps of steak flavored with herbs. dont eat lobby without some crusty bread to scoop every drop of lobby.

Back to the oatcakes, there is a stall in the centre of Hanly, which sell huge oatcakes. As for fillings, im surprised nobody has been real creative yet and considered other. i would try seling 1's with chicken cury, salmon with cream cheese,

Or how about some cheap ideas, cheese with a layer of tomato puree, and for a sweet 1, nutella with banana.

Keep the ideas flowing

Joey

Bill Pearson said...

Have you read that the last remaining Hole in the Wall oatcake shop could be demolished?

The Sentinel are running a campaign to save it.