Type Bread Serving temperature Sliced Place of origin United Kingdom | Region or state Northern Ireland Main ingredients Wheat Flour Main ingredient Wheat flour | |
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Similar Skirts and kidneys, Limerick ham, Crubeens, Drisheen, Imokilly Regato | ||
Veda bread is a malted bread sold in Northern Ireland. It is a small, caramel-coloured loaf with a very soft consistency when fresh. Since it is only available in Northern Ireland, many people rely on their relatives to send them veda to other parts of Ireland and the UK.
In the North West of England, however, veda bread is something quite different: a sweet, sticky loaf made with black treacle. It is eaten sliced, dry, or with butter or margarine. The molasses in the treacle help to preserve the mixture, and veda bread connoisseurs will leave a freshly baked loaf for several weeks in a closed cake tin to allow the flavours to mature before they eat it.
Secret formula
It is still impossible to find a recipe for a Veda loaf, over a hundred years after it was invented. However, devotees have had good results by following the instructions for a malted fruit loaf but without the fruit or alcohol.
Although a sweet bread, Veda is often eaten toasted with butter and cheese, although many prefer to add jam or marmalade. It is usually eaten as a snack.
Veda Bakeries hold all the original recipes for Veda bread. Veda Bakeries is a company registered by law. The company is based East Lothian, and is owned by Jim Kerr of forthestuary cereals.
The formula for Veda was allegedly stumbled upon by luck when a Dundee farmer's house-keeper accidentally used damp wheat which had sprouted to produce malted wheat. When she used the malted wheat for the farmer’s bread it produced a sweet-malted flavoured bread – and Veda bread was born.