A display of the preferred buns. (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

"I have travelled miles to find a good bun, visiting bakeries both in Kingston and the countryside ever since I was a child," remarked my friend Pete Smith, regulatory finance manager at Cable and Wireless, who opens the dialogue at a gathering which takes place at my home. I had rounded up a few guys, each with varying backgrounds, and invited them to my house to explain to me the popularity of bun and cheese. It was very interesting to hear what makes bun special to each of them. It is amazing how people become excited over bun and cheese during the Easter season. I have often found that men are the main culprits who wax lyrical about this spicy and sweet concoction. I wanted to dig deep on the types of bun available. What was it that evoked such passion? Was it the combination of spices, the texture or the mixed fruit which makes it so more-ish? What makes this food an inter-generational favourite and an unbroken continuation of a culinary tradition unique to our island, where other recipe treasures have been lost over time?

I enquired on the types of buns available. Pete continued by telling us that he had tried hard dough bun when he was younger, something I had never heard of. He was not sure if they were still being made, and stated that he doesn't like his buns too sweet. His absolute favourite is the stout bun.

Richard Oliver, a realtor from Valerie Levy and Associates, concurs. His earliest memories of bun were those of the stout variety which his mother, Dorothy Oliver, made every Easter. It was something he looked forward to each year. He loves the Jamaican tradition, and thinks it is a vital part of our food heritage. His mother, much to his sadness, no longer bakes as she often did in the past; however, his wife Liz bakes buns at home, thus continuing this great family ritual. What a lucky guy!

Bun tasting

Spice buns are also hot on the list. The Jamaican Easter bun evolved from the British tradition of hot cross buns which were eaten to break the Good Friday fast, typically at 3:00pm with a cup of tea. Of course, being a remarkable people, we have made our own distinctive creation which is enjoyed both here and amongst the Diaspora overseas. I must confess, I have never baked a bun in my life and leave it to the experts.

Strong loyalties exist when choosing buns from particular bakeries. A heated debate took place amongst the gentlemen as to which bakery reigned supreme in the production of commercial buns. The names which kept popping up were Maxfield, HTB, Honey, Purity, Prestige and Whitfield as the distinguished few who are famous for their Easter buns. Nonetheless, a bun takes on more special heights when paired with the iconoclastic Tastee cheese.

You cannot offer a Jamaican a slice of bun with any old cheese. It has to be Tastee, with its distinctive orange colour and creamy taste, the perfect match for a moist bun. My good mate Adrian Lopez, CEO/producer/director of Liquid Light Digital, a film and video production company, confesses he loves the combination and can't eat bun alone. He looked at all of us and remarked deadpan, what is the point of bun without cheese? Adrian introduced Alex Murray, an animator, who began visiting our shores since 2003 from Scotland, to our local custom. Alex believes our version is more exciting than hot cross buns.

My younger cousin, Andre Watson, who is a student, enjoys the way the sweet of the bun and saltiness of the cheese combine on his palate. He thinks it is convenient as a quick snack, and a great meal on a budget. Andrew Anderson, another student, prefers his bun moist, and fell in love with the gourmet bun from Nicole's Sweet Temptations. He said he likes to sometimes toast his bun to get a fuller flavour.

Roy Creary, a businessman, and the most senior of our group, said bun and cheese is a permanent fixture in his home and he gets quick satisfaction from consuming it. He also mentioned that we could try eating bun with ripe bananas, if for some reason we run out of cheese, which we all found an interesting tidbit of information.

I asked the men how often they eat bun during the Holy Season. Every single one of them responded that it was a continuous munching throughout Easter. Roy said it doesn't stop until the last crumb of bun and piece of cheese is completely consumed. The guys nodded in agreement. Bun is for feasting and enjoyment, they answered. What to drink with it? I demanded to know. Some liked it with lemonade, others with beer, milk or soft drinks, and all agreed a nice glass of water bodes well to wash away the thirst-causing sweetness.

Well, readers, let me tell you, listening to those guys gave me a crash course on the merits and slight flaws, if any - the most notable sin for them was dryness - of our esteemed bun and cheese. I don't think I will ever look at or taste buns the same way again.

Bon Appétit and Have a Holy Easter!

Jacqui Sinclair is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef/food stylist & hotelier. She has worked in the world of food photography and film in Europe. A bon vivant, she is passionate about sharing her food secrets with enthusiastic home cooks.

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