Bolo Fiado, or Bolo Folhado (Sinhala: බොලෝ ෆියාඩෝ), is a Sri Lankan laminated/layer cake. It is made of sweet pastry layers, alternating with a cashew nut, sugar and rose water filling.[1] It has the appearance of a thick Mille-feuille or large Danish pastry.[2][3]
The cake was introduced by the Portuguese but has evolved into a confectionery unique to Sri Lanka.[4][5] The original recipe of Bolo Fiado dates back to the 16th century, when the Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the country.[6] Its name has Portuguese origins, boloisPortuguese for cake, and folhado meaning a leaf or sheet.[7] It has since been adapted by the Burgher community.[8][9] One of the first literary mentions of Bolo Fiado was in Hilda Deutrom's Ceylon Daily News Cookery Book, published in 1929.
Bolo Fiado is made with a type of shortcrust pastry, consisting of flour, water, butter, egg yolks and sugar, which are folded into layers. The filling traditionally consists of sugar water, cashew nuts (known as cadju in Sri Lanka) and rose water.[10][11] Variations to the filling include the use of preserved or crystalised ash pumpkin (puhul dosi), rasins and spices.[12][13]
^Brohier, Deloraine (2012). A Taste of Sugar and Spice: Cuisine of the Dutch Burgher Huisvrouw in Olde Ceylon. Battaramulla: Neptune Publications. ISBN978-955-0028-27-6.
^de S. Jayasuriya, Shihan (2001). Tagus to Taprobane: Portuguese Impact on the Socio-culture of Sri Lanka from 1505 AD. Vol. 20. Tisara Prakasakayo. p. 62. ISBN9789555640626.
^Gunawardena, Charles A. (2005). Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers. p. 97. ISBN9781932705485.
^Vieyra, Antonio Vieyra (1827). A Dictionary of the Portuguese and English Languages. London: Ibotson and Palmer.
^Joshi, V. K., ed. (2016). Indigenous Fermented Foods of South Asia. Vol. 7. CRC Press. p. 33. ISBN9781439887905.
^Dissanayake, Chandra (1968). Ceylon Cookery. Metro Printers. p. 368-370.
^Kelegama, Saman; Roshan Madawela, Roshan, eds. (2002). 400 Years of Dutch-Sri Lanka Relations, 1602-2002. Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. p. 575. ISBN9789558708132.
