[1][2] These soft caramelised milk confectionery come in the shape of little squares, whose size varies according to tradition.

The principal ingredients are sweetened condensed milk, sugar and butter, they are often flavored with a variety of spices including cinnamon, cardamom or sea salt.

It is similar to the Scottish sugary confection, tablet, which was first identified in the early 18th century.

Other close dishes include the Québécois Sucre à la crème, the South American tableta de leche and the Dutch borstplaat.

[3] It is likely that the dish evolved from bonda aluwa, a combination of coconut, rice flour and jaggery - which was combined and rolled into a sausage shape and wrapped in plantain leaves.