Bulla cake, usually referred to as bulla, is a rich
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
n cake made with
molasses
Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...
, brown sugar
[Grace Camero]
Bulla pear & A likely pair
September 25, 2003 Jamaica Gleaner and spiced with
ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...
and
nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...
. It is eaten as a snack.
Overview
Jamaican ''bulla cakes'' are small loaves that are flat, round, and sometimes dark-colored or light-colored.
They are inexpensive and easy to make using molasses, brown sugar,
vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia'').
''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...
, flour and baking soda.
In Jamaica, ''bulla'' comes in different flavours such as ''spice'' (with
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
and nutmeg), Jamaican
ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...
,
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
and
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.
The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
. Also, smaller ''bulla cakes'' (''mini bulla'') are sold on the island.
Traditionally, ''bulla'' is a popular treat for schoolchildren, often paired with
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
or ''cherry malt''.
[Rebecca Tortell]
Sweet & dandy - The history of Jamaican sweets
February 7, 2009 The Gleaner (Jamaica) It is commonly consumed as a snack that is often paired with
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
or
avocado
The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...
.
As a traditional food of Jamaica, the ''bulla cake'' has been considered an emblem related to development on the island nation. Former solicitor general of Jamaica and
Air Jamaica
Air Jamaica was the flag carrier of Jamaica. It was owned and operated by Caribbean Airlines from May 2011 until the cessation of operations in 2015. Caribbean Airlines Limited, headquartered in Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago, had administrative of ...
president,
Kenneth Rattray, was a fan of ''bulla''.
[Dwight Bellanfant]
Hundreds mourn Kenneth Rattray
January 09, 2005 Jamaica Observer
File:Jamaican bulla 1.jpg, ''Jamaican spice bulla''
File:Jamaican ginger bulla.jpg, ''Jamaican ginger bulla''
File:Jamaican pineapple bulla.jpg, ''Jamaican pineapple bulla''
See also
*
Jamaican cuisine
Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian cuisine, Amerindian, Cuisine of West Africa, West African, Irish cuisine, Irish, English cuisine, English, French cuisine, French, Portuguese ...
*
Coco bread
Coco bread is a Jamaican bread eaten on the island and in other areas of the Caribbean. The bread contains coconut milk and is soft and slightly sweet in taste.
It is made to be split in half, and is often stuffed with a Jamaican patty or oth ...
*
Hard dough bread
Hard dough bread, also called hardo bread, is a Jamaican bread similar to the Pullman loaf or pain de mie, although ''hard dough bread'' tends to be sweeter. The dough consists of flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar. Additional ingredients suc ...
*
Jamaican patty
A Jamaican patty is a semicircular pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside a flaky shell, often tinted golden yellow with an egg yolk mixture or turmeric. It is a type of turnover, and is formed by folding the circular dou ...
*
Jamaican festival
*
Bammy
*
List of Jamaican dishes
This is a list of Jamaican dishes and foods. Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, ingredients, flavours, spices and influences from the Taínos, Jamaica's indigenous people, the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Scottish, Ir ...
References
Jamaican desserts
Cakes
Ginger desserts
Sweet breads
Molasses
{{Jamaica-cuisine-stub