It is made to be split in half and is often stuffed with a Jamaican patty or other filling to form a sandwich. It is a standard item in school cafeterias and bakeries.
Flour, butter or oil, yeast, sugar, and milk or coconut milk are combined to form a soft dough, which after rising is separated into portions which are rolled out, coated with butter or oil, and folded before baking to make an easy-to-split roughly wedge- or half-moon-shaped bun.[1][2] It is a dense, moist, starchy bread and slightly sweet in taste.[3]
The bread has been a standard offering in school cafeterias as an inexpensive, filling, and easy-to-make vessel for a patty or other filling to form a sandwich. It is commonly served to-go in bakeries throughout the country and is eaten by all classes.[1] It is also served to use for dipping or as part of a bread basket.[1][2]
History
There is uncertainty regarding when coco bread was first made and by whom; it is believed that Jamaica is the birthplace of coco bread.[4] In Jamaica is it believed to have originated as a poverty food.[4] It is likely a product of enslaved Africans and indentured Indians who worked on Caribbean sugar plantations.[4] Since then, it has been popular within the Caribbean communities in the region and in areas where Jamaican immigrants have settled.[5][3][4]
The recipe traditions are also unclear; the original recipes may have been made with coconut milk, and some modern recipes call for it.[4] Others call for dairy milk.[3] The name may also refer to a Jamaican brand of butter, as butter is a crucial ingredient.[3]
