‘Baby Reindeer’: The slang ‘Scotch broth,’ explained

In the opening episode of Netflix’s cultural phenomenon, Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd’s Donny Dunn reluctantly takes Jessica Gunning’s Martha Scott to a coffee shop for her birthday, where she says she wants the “Scotch broth.”

Given how she said it — and how downright peculiar she is — it’s clear Martha meant this as a sexual innuendo. However, that might not have been so obvious for viewers outside the United Kingdom. With that in mind, what was she referring to?

First of all, Scotch broth is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a British soup made from barley, various vegetables (including cabbage, leeks, and beans), and either lamb, mutton, or beef (it’s delicious, try it!). But given that’s not what Martha wanted, let’s elaborate.

What did Martha mean when she said she wanted ‘Scotch broth?’

When Martha says “Scotch broth,” she’s using the term as a slang alternative to semen.

Donnie is Scottish, so without going into too much detail, she’s referring to her yearning for his bodily fluids.

Still keen on giving Scotch broth a try?

To be clear, “Scotch broth” is not a common term for semen in the United Kingdom (the British author of this piece can attest to that) and is merely one of Martha’s strange ways of describing things, but there’s no doubt that’s what she meant in this case.

So, if you’re ever in the United Kingdom and, for whatever reason, need to discuss seminal fluid, don’t refer to it by using the names of any British culinary delights — you’ll likely receive some very, very strange looks.