A Scotch egg is a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, then usually baked or deep-fried.
The snack is strongly associated with British food culture and is commonly sold cold in shops, supermarkets, and picnic spreads. It can also be served warm, sometimes with salad, chutney, or other accompaniments. The egg may be soft- or hard-boiled, depending on the recipe.
Fortnum & Mason, the London department store, claims to have invented the Scotch egg in 1738 as a travel food for customers. That claim is frequently repeated, although the broader history of meat-wrapped eggs includes older European and South Asian culinary traditions.
The name can cause confusion because “Scotch” does not mean the egg must contain Scotch whisky. It refers to the established name of the snack, and modern recipes generally contain egg, sausage meat, and a crumb coating.