Barley-Broth or Scotch Broth

‘The bland, balsamic barley broth of Scotland.’—Meg Dods.

[In Aberdeen] ‘At dinner, Dr. Johnson ate several plates of Scotch broth, with barley and peas in it, and seemed very fond of the dish. I said, “You never ate it before?”—Johnson, “No, sir; but I don’t care how soon I eat it again.”’

—Boswell: Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson (1786).

(Traditional Rec