Toto (also referred to as tuoto and toe-toe bulla)
is a small
coconut cake in
Jamaican cuisine
Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian, African, Irish, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern people who have inhabited the island. It is also ...
served as a snack or
dessert.
[Caribbean – Bruce Geddes – Google Books](_blank)
p. 238. The cake is typically prepared with shredded
coconut,
brown sugar
Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar.
Brown Sugar may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
,
flour,
baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3∠...
and
powder
A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and '' granular'' are sometimes used to distin ...
, and
coconut milk.
It may also be added with some flavorings such as
allspice,
nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
,
ginger, and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
.
Toto is a
Jamaican delicacy that is served at most family gatherings.
History
Toto got its origin from slavery. Whenever they were hungry from being underfed, they would combine coconut, molasses and flour, bake it with fire coals laced on top of a metal sheet covering the cake pan and fire beneath the cake pan.
Misconceptions
It was stated in the book ''Jamaican food: history, biology, culture'', published in 2008, that the food appears to have been invented in the twentieth century,
[Jamaican food: history, biology, culture - B. W. Higman - Google Books](_blank)
p. 245. and that by the end of the twentieth century they were difficult to find.
That claim may be erroneous as the food is typically made in homes and not sold widely in stores. Toto recipes are passed down within families, some claiming to have recipes from the 19th century. Toto is not related to Coco Bread.
See also
*
Gizzada
*
Grater cake
*
List of cakes
The following is a list of types of dessert cakes by country of origin and distinctive ingredients. The majority of the cakes contain some kind of flour, egg, and sugar. Cake is often served as a celebratory dish on ceremonial occasions such as we ...
*
List of Jamaican dishes
This is a list of Jamaican dishes and foods. Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences from the indigenous people on the island of Jamaica, and the Africans who have inhabited the island. It is also ...
*
Coco bread
Coco bread is eaten in Jamaica and other areas of the Caribbean. The bread contains some coconut milk, and is starchy and slightly sweet in taste. It is often split in half and stuffed with a Jamaican patty to form a sandwich in the same manner a ...
References
Jamaican desserts
Foods containing coconut
{{dessert-stub