What Is Toolum? The Trinidadian Molasses Coconut Sweet Explained
Toolum is an old time Trinidadian sweet of grated coconut cooked with molasses into sticky, chewy dark balls. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Toolum is an old time Trinidadian sweet made from grated coconut cooked down with molasses, often scented with dried orange peel and sweetened with a little sugar, until it forms a sticky, chewy dark mass that is rolled into balls. It is dark, richly sweet and pleasantly chewy, a nostalgic street and childhood treat with African roots that older Trinidadians remember fondly. It is enjoyed on its own as a small, satisfying sweet rather than as part of a meal. In the UK the coconut and molasses to make it are sold by Caribbean food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Toolum is an old time Trinidadian sweet of grated coconut cooked with molasses.
- It is often scented with dried orange peel and a little sugar, and sometimes ginger.
- The mixture is cooked to a thick, chewy mass and shaped into balls.
- It is dark, sticky and richly sweet, with African roots in Trinidad.
- It contains coconut, so it is not suitable for anyone with a coconut allergy.
Ask an older Trinidadian about toolum and you often get a smile before an answer. It belongs to the world of old time sweets sold from a tray or a glass case, the little dark balls of coconut and molasses that cost next to nothing and meant everything to a child with a few coins. It is the taste of a slower Trinidad, of street corners and school days, of a treat handed over in a twist of paper.
There is real heritage in that sticky sweetness. Molasses is a legacy of the island's sugar history, and turning it together with coconut into something to savour is part of the resourceful, make-something-lovely spirit that runs through the food's African roots. To find toolum, or to make it, far from home in Britain is to hold on to a memory, and to give a younger relative their first taste is to pass that memory along. That deep, chewy sweetness is a small, genuine piece of home.
What Toolum Actually Is
Toolum is a traditional Trinidadian confection, one of the island's classic old time sweets, made by cooking grated coconut together with molasses until the mixture thickens into a sticky, chewy mass that is then formed into small balls. Molasses gives it its dark colour and its deep, almost bittersweet richness, while the coconut brings texture and a mellow, nutty flavour. Many cooks scent the mixture with dried orange peel, and a little sugar is often added, so the finished sweet is rich, chewy and intensely flavoured.
It is a small treat, eaten on its own rather than as a dessert course or part of a meal, and it is prized as much for nostalgia as for taste. Toolum sits among the beloved old time sweets of Trinidad and Tobago, in good company with the likes of sugar cake, another coconut sweet that many people grew up on. Where sugar cake is pale and sugary, toolum is dark and molasses-rich, and the two together tell you a lot about how coconut and the island's sugar heritage shaped its sweets. Toolum is very much part of the wider world of Trinidadian food, where African, Indian, Creole and other influences meet.
How Toolum Is Made
Making toolum begins with grated coconut, ideally from a mature dry coconut, and molasses, the thick, dark syrup left from sugar making. The molasses is heated in a heavy pot, often with a little sugar and water, and cooked until it thickens and darkens further. The grated coconut is stirred in, along with dried orange peel for fragrance and sometimes a little grated ginger for warmth, and the whole mixture is cooked down, stirred steadily, until it comes together into a thick, sticky, glossy mass that pulls away from the pot.
The trick is in the cooking to the right stage, thick enough to hold a shape but still workable while warm. Once it reaches that point, the mixture is left to cool just enough to handle, then scooped and rolled into balls or small mounds and set aside to firm up. The result is a dark, chewy sweet with a concentrated flavour, sweet and faintly bitter from the molasses, fragrant from the orange peel and full of coconut. Because it is made with coconut, toolum is not suitable for anyone with a coconut allergy, so it is worth mentioning when you share it.
Why Toolum Matters in Trinidad
Toolum is a piece of edible history. Molasses tied the sweet to Trinidad's sugar past, and coconut is woven through the island's cooking, so the two coming together in a humble ball of confectionery is a very Trini kind of resourcefulness. Sweets like this were made and sold cheaply, carried on trays and offered at markets, fairs and street corners, and for generations of children they were an affordable joy.
The dish also carries African roots, part of the heritage that shaped so much of Trinidad's traditional food and sweets. Today toolum is firmly an old time treat, the sort of thing people seek out for a taste of the past or make at home to share a memory with the young ones. It may be simple, but it is exactly that simplicity, coconut, molasses and a little care, that has kept it loved for so long. Coming across toolum is coming across a small, sweet reminder of an earlier Trinidad.
Where to Buy Toolum in the UK
Toolum is a homemade sweet, and while you may sometimes find it made by Caribbean bakeries and market stalls, the surest way to enjoy it in Britain is to make it yourself. The ingredients are simple and easy to gather: grated or desiccated coconut, molasses, a little sugar and some dried orange peel, with ginger if you like a bit of warmth. Caribbean food shops are the natural place to find good molasses and the coconut you want, along with other Trini treats to try alongside it. You can find Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby and stock up for a batch at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is toolum?
Toolum is an old time Trinidadian sweet made from grated coconut cooked down with molasses, often scented with dried orange peel and a little sugar, until it forms a sticky, chewy dark mass rolled into balls. It is dark, richly sweet and chewy, a nostalgic street and childhood treat with African roots that older Trinidadians remember well.
What does toolum taste like?
Toolum is dark, sticky and richly sweet, with a deep, almost bittersweet flavour from the molasses balanced by the mellow, nutty taste of coconut. Dried orange peel gives it a gentle fragrance, and some cooks add ginger for a little warmth. The texture is chewy and dense, meant to be enjoyed slowly as a small treat.
How is toolum made?
Molasses is heated in a pot, often with a little sugar, and cooked until thick, then grated coconut is stirred in along with dried orange peel and sometimes ginger. The mixture is cooked down, stirring steadily, until it forms a thick, sticky mass, then it is cooled slightly and rolled into balls that firm up as they set.
Does toolum contain coconut?
Yes, coconut is one of the two main ingredients in toolum, alongside molasses, so it is not suitable for anyone with a coconut allergy. If you are sharing toolum with others, it is worth letting them know it is coconut-based. There is no dairy or egg in the traditional sweet, which is otherwise simply coconut, molasses, sugar and orange peel.
Where can I buy toolum ingredients in the UK?
Toolum is usually made at home, so Caribbean food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: grated or desiccated coconut, molasses, sugar and dried orange peel. Shops serving Caribbean customers stock good molasses and the coconut you need, and may sometimes sell the sweet ready made. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.