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Edinburgh rock
It shares a name with seaside rock, but Edinburgh rock could hardly be more different: soft, chalky and crumbling as you bite.
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Edinburgh rock, sometimes called Edinburgh Castle rock, is a traditional Scottish sweet sold in short, coloured sticks. Despite the name, it is quite different from the hard seaside rock sold at English resorts.
What is Edinburgh rock?
Edinburgh rock is made from sugar, water, cream of tartar, colourings and flavourings. It is formed into sticks, and it has a soft, crumbly texture that breaks down easily in the mouth. Flavours such as ginger and lemon are traditional.
Compare that with seaside rock, which is boiled to the hard crack stage and pulled, and sets hard and glassy. Bite a stick of seaside rock and it snaps; bite Edinburgh rock and it crumbles. The reason lies in how the sugar sets: see why Edinburgh rock crumbles.
Sweetie Sandy
Edinburgh rock was first made in the 19th century by Alexander Ferguson, who became known as Sweetie Sandy. He was born in Doune, Perthshire, in 1798, learned the confectionery trade in Glasgow, and then moved to Edinburgh to start his own business. His rock was such a success that he was able to retire to Doune a very rich man.
In the early 20th century the rock was made and sold at 1 Melbourne Place, on the corner of George IV Bridge and the Lawnmarket, a building that has since been demolished.
The forgotten tray
There is a story, almost certainly too good to be true, that Ferguson discovered Edinburgh rock by accident. One day, the tale goes, he found a tray of sweets that had been forgotten for months. He tried a piece of the dried out result, found it delicious, and Edinburgh rock was born. Other British sweets have origin stories like this one, including Kendal Mint Cake.
Cream of tartar
The ingredient that sets Edinburgh rock's recipe apart from seaside rock is cream of tartar, a by product of wine making. It is acidic, and sweet makers use it because of the way it affects how sugar crystallises.
Other Scottish rocks
Scotland has another traditional rock too: star rock, or starrie, made in Kirriemuir in small bundles of pencil thin sticks, and less brittle than seaside rock. See starrie rock, and for Scotland's other great sugar sweet, Scottish tablet.
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Questions and answers
What is the difference between Edinburgh rock and seaside rock?
Seaside rock is a hard, glassy boiled sugar stick. Edinburgh rock is made with cream of tartar and has a soft, crumbly, chalky texture that breaks easily in the mouth.
Who invented Edinburgh rock?
Alexander Ferguson, a confectioner born in Doune in 1798 and known as Sweetie Sandy, in the 19th century.
What flavours does Edinburgh rock come in?
It is sold in sticks of different colours and flavours; ginger and lemon are among the traditional ones.
Sources
- Edinburgh rock, Wikipedia
- Rock (confectionery), Wikipedia
- Potassium bitartrate, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- British heritage sweetsSeaside rockSeaside rock is a hard stick of boiled sugar, usually peppermint, with a pink casing and words running all the way through it.
- Questions people askWhy does Edinburgh rock crumble?Edinburgh rock is boiled less hot than seaside rock, pulled, then left for a day to turn sugary, giving a soft, crumbly bite instead of a glassy one.
- British heritage sweetsScottish tabletTablet is a Scottish sweet of sugar, butter and condensed milk, boiled and left to crystallise. Firmer and grainier than fudge, it dates to the early 1700s.
- British heritage sweetsStarrie rockStar rock, or starrie, is a Scottish rock made in Kirriemuir since 1833 and sold in bundles of pencil sized sticks. The story of the rock and its shop.
- British heritage sweetsOld fashioned sweets: the A to ZAn A to Z of old fashioned British sweets, from acid drops and aniseed balls to Wham bars and yellowman, with a line on each and a link to its full story.
- British heritage sweetsTraditional English sweetsA county by county guide to traditional English sweets, from Pontefract cakes and Kendal Mint Cake to Uncle Joe's Mint Balls and Love Hearts.