Uj'alayi

"The sweet, sticky cake known as uj'alayi is a traditional Mandalorian desert, the secret recipe for which was handed down through the generations."

- Chef Strono Tuggs

Uj'alayi—also known as uj cake—was a traditional Mandalorian dessert. A unique, sticky-sweet cake that was typically flat and dense, uj'alayi was made using nuts and dried fruit, infused with a sweet spiced syrup that kept the dish moist. A favorite among Mandalorians, the recipe for uj cake was handed down through generations. Uj'alayi was served at numerous special occasions, including victory feasts and clan get-togethers. Mandalorian soldiers were even reputed to carry pieces of uj'alayi into battle with them, stowed in their armor.

While not a member of the Mandalorian culture himself, an Artiodac chef by the name of Strono Tuggs came into possession of a recipe for uj cake, through circumstances he would later refuse to disclose. Nevertheless, Tuggs published the uj'alayi recipe along with several others in a cookbook he authored during his time at Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu.

Behind the scenes
Uj'alayi was first introduced to the Star Wars universe in the 2004 Legends novel Republic Commando: Hard Contact, by author Karen Traviss. It was later reintroduced to the new Star Wars canon in 2018, via a detailed appearance in The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook. Written by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Marc Sumerak, the Black Spire Outpost Cookbook provided an at-home recipe for how to make the Mandalorian dessert, and finally provided a canonical image of uj cake after more than a decade without one.