Scotland vs. Brazil: Which country has the better food?

Continuing with World Cup matchups, I’m putting some of the most popular dishes from Scotland and Brazil head-to-head to see which country’s food is best. 

The first matchup was a traditional Scottish Scotch egg versus Brazilian fried chicken croquettes, also known as coxinha.

The Scotch egg was good, but the coxinha immediately won me over. With its crispy fried exterior and rich, savory chicken filling, it tasted almost like a deep-fried chicken pot pie. It was far too good not to win the first round.

Next, the coxinha went up against Scottish smoked salmon.

The chicken croquettes had been impressive, but the smoked salmon was on another level. Its rich, smoky flavor and delicate texture gave Scotland the win and knocked the coxinha out of the competition.

Then came smoked salmon versus Brazil’s famous picanha.

I think we all knew how that matchup was going to end. Picanha is a prized Brazilian cut of beef known for its thick fat cap, bold flavor, and incredibly juicy texture. As much as I enjoyed the smoked salmon, it couldn’t compete with a perfectly cooked piece of steak.

For the final round, the picanha faced one of Scotland’s most unexpected treats: a deep-fried Mars bar. Yes, this is a real thing in Scotland.

The candy bar is coated in batter and fried until the outside is crisp and the chocolate and caramel inside become warm and melty. I’ll admit that it was much better than I expected. For a second, I even wondered whether it could pull off the upset.

But no. The picanha was still too good.

Scotland put up a strong fight with smoked salmon and a surprisingly delicious deep-fried Mars bar, but the picanha was impossible to beat. Brazil took this round. Stay tuned for more World Cup matchups!