What Is Blue Draws? The Jamaican Tie-a-Leaf Sweet Explained
Blue draws, or duckunoo, is a Jamaican steamed cornmeal and coconut sweet wrapped in banana leaf. Here is what it is.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Blue draws is a traditional Jamaican sweet, a mixture of cornmeal, coconut, sugar and warm spices wrapped in banana leaf and boiled or steamed into a soft, sweet, dense parcel. Also known as duckunoo, tie-a-leaf, and blue drawers, it has deep roots in West African cooking, brought to the Caribbean and cherished as a nostalgic treat. The banana leaf gives the sweet its shape and a subtle flavour, and unwrapping the tied parcel is part of the pleasure. Sweet, spiced and comforting, blue draws is a treasured piece of Jamaican heritage. In the UK the cornmeal, coconut and banana leaves are sold by African and Caribbean food shops.
What to remember
- Blue draws is a Jamaican sweet of cornmeal, coconut, sugar and spices wrapped in banana leaf and boiled.
- It is also known as duckunoo, tie-a-leaf and blue drawers.
- It has deep roots in West African cooking, brought to the Caribbean.
- The banana leaf gives it its shape and a subtle flavour, and unwrapping the parcel is part of the pleasure.
- The cornmeal, coconut and banana leaves are sold by African and Caribbean food shops in the UK.
For Jamaicans in Britain, blue draws is a nostalgic, heritage taste of home. It is the leaf-wrapped parcel untied to reveal the sweet, spiced cornmeal within, the old-time treat of grandmothers and country kitchens, the sweet that carries the island's history, the taste that says home and memory. Making blue draws far from home brings back childhood treats and family traditions and the heritage food of Jamaica, the warmth of home in every soft, spiced, coconut-rich bite.
There is real heritage in it too, in a sweet with roots reaching back to West Africa, carried across the Atlantic and lovingly kept alive through generations. It reflects a whole culture of tradition, memory and patient home cooking, and to make blue draws is to keep that heritage alive. Making it for family who grew up on it, or sharing the ritual of unwrapping one with a friend, is a real act of welcome. That sweet, nostalgic taste of home is the gift of blue draws.
What Blue Draws Actually Is
Blue draws is a beloved traditional Jamaican sweet, one of the island's cherished old-time treats. It is made from a mixture based on cornmeal, sometimes with flour or grated cassava or sweet potato too, enriched with coconut, sweetened with sugar, and flavoured with warm spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, along with dried fruit like raisins in some versions. This mixture is spooned onto pieces of banana leaf, wrapped and tied into neat parcels, and then boiled or steamed until set into a soft, dense, sweet pudding-like sweet.
The dish goes by several names, most commonly blue draws and duckunoo, and also tie-a-leaf, from the way it is wrapped, and blue drawers. It has deep roots in West African cooking, where similar leaf-wrapped cornmeal and starch parcels are traditional, and it was carried to the Caribbean and kept alive as a treasured heritage food. Blue draws belongs to the world of Jamaican cooking we cover in our guide to Jamaican food, and it sits among the sweet treats of Caribbean food like sweet potato pudding.
How Blue Draws Is Made and Eaten
Making blue draws is a lovely, traditional process. The cornmeal is combined with coconut, sugar, spices and liquid, often coconut milk, and sometimes flour, grated cassava or sweet potato and dried fruit, into a thick, spoonable mixture. Banana leaves are cut, softened, usually by passing them over a flame or blanching, to make them pliable, and the mixture is spooned onto them, then the leaves are folded and tied with string or strips of leaf into secure parcels. These are boiled or steamed until the mixture inside sets firm and the flavours meld with the banana leaf.
Blue draws is eaten once cooled enough to handle, by untying and unwrapping the leaf to reveal the soft, sweet, spiced sweet inside, which is enjoyed as a treat or snack. Part of its charm is the ritual of unwrapping the parcel. It is naturally free of wheat if made only with cornmeal and coconut, though recipes vary, and it contains coconut, which those with an allergy should note. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Sweet, spiced and steeped in heritage, blue draws is a treasured Jamaican classic.
Blue Draws in Jamaican Food Culture
Blue draws holds a special, nostalgic place in Jamaican food culture as an old-time, heritage sweet. It is the kind of treat associated with grandmothers, country cooking and times past, made with patience and care, and its West African roots make it a living link to the island's heritage, one of many dishes that carried across the Atlantic and took on a Caribbean life. The names, the leaf wrapping, the spiced coconut and cornmeal, all speak of tradition and memory, and for many it brings back fond childhood recollections.
Every family has its own blue draws, its mix of cornmeal and other starches, its spicing and sweetness, its own way of tying the parcels, but the sweet, spiced cornmeal and coconut mixture steamed in banana leaf is always at its heart. For Jamaicans, blue draws is a nostalgic, heritage taste of home, and for anyone exploring Caribbean food it is a fascinating, delicious traditional sweet to discover. This article is general food and cultural information. Sweet and nostalgic, blue draws is a treasured Jamaican classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making blue draws at home in Britain is very doable, as the ingredients are sold in African and Caribbean food shops. They stock cornmeal, grated or desiccated coconut and coconut milk, the warm spices and dried fruit, and, importantly, banana leaves, usually in the freezer, which are essential for the traditional wrapping and flavour. Banana leaves and a good cornmeal are the key things to seek out, and a Caribbean shop is the natural place to find them, along with any cassava or sweet potato some recipes use.
If you want to make blue draws, an African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the cornmeal, coconut and banana leaves you need. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Sweet, spiced and wrapped in leaf, blue draws brings a treasured, heritage taste of Jamaica to your table, a lovely traditional sweet to make and share.
Frequently asked questions
What is blue draws?
Blue draws is a traditional Jamaican sweet, a mixture of cornmeal, coconut, sugar and warm spices wrapped in banana leaf and boiled or steamed into a soft, sweet, dense parcel. Also known as duckunoo, tie-a-leaf and blue drawers, it has deep roots in West African cooking. The banana leaf gives it its shape and a subtle flavour, and unwrapping the tied parcel is part of the pleasure.
Why is blue draws also called duckunoo?
Blue draws goes by several names reflecting its history and how it is made. Duckunoo (also spelt dokono or dukunu) is a name with West African origins, pointing to the dish's African roots. Tie-a-leaf describes the way the mixture is tied up in banana leaf, and blue drawers, of which blue draws is a shortening, is another traditional name. They all refer to the same leaf-wrapped cornmeal and coconut sweet.
What is blue draws made of?
Blue draws is made from cornmeal, sometimes with flour, grated cassava or sweet potato, enriched with coconut and coconut milk, sweetened with sugar, and flavoured with warm spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, often with dried fruit like raisins. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaf and boiled or steamed until set. Recipes vary from family to family.
How is blue draws cooked?
The sweet cornmeal and coconut mixture is spooned onto softened banana leaves, which are folded and tied into secure parcels with string or strips of leaf, then boiled or steamed until the mixture inside sets firm and takes on flavour from the leaf. It is eaten by untying and unwrapping the leaf to reveal the soft, spiced sweet inside, which is part of its charm.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Cornmeal, grated or desiccated coconut, coconut milk, warm spices, dried fruit and, importantly, banana leaves (usually frozen) are sold by African and Caribbean food shops. Banana leaves and good cornmeal are the key items. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the cornmeal, coconut and banana leaves that blue draws needs.