A Soor ploom ( Scots for "sour

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

") is a sharp-flavoured, round, green boiled sweet originally associated with

Galashiels Galashiels (; , ) is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile in ...

, Scotland. They are sold loose by weight in paper bags, traditionally in "quarters" — a quarter of a pound. They are said to have been first made in 1337 in commemoration of a

skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to Screening (tactical), screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a sk ...

near Galashiels. A raiding party from England were overwhelmed and killed by local men when discovered eating unripe plums. A "childhood favourite," they are pale green and "slightly acid in flavour". They have been featured in ''

Oor Wullie ''Oor Wullie'' () is a Scottish comic strip published in the D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, D.C. Thomson newspaper ''The Sunday Post''. It features a character called Wullie; Wullie is a Scots language, Scots nickname for boys named William, equival ...

'' and '' The Broons'' cartoons. "Soor Plooms" is the motto of the town

. There is a

Border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

pipe tune from 1700 called "Soor Plooms of Galashiels".

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Further reading