Toto (also referred to as tuoto and toe-toe bulla)
is a small
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, ...
cake in
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 ...
served as a snack or
dessert.
[Caribbean – Bruce Geddes – Google Books](_blank)
p. 238. The cake is typically prepared with shredded
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, ...
,
brown sugar,
flour
Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
,
baking soda and
powder, and
coconut milk.
It may also be added with some flavorings such as
allspice,
nutmeg,
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
salt.
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
*
List of Jamaican dishes
*
Coco bread
References
Jamaican desserts
Coconut cakes
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