Bammy is a traditional

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads r ...

descended from the simple flatbread eaten by the

Arawaks The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greater ...

, Jamaica's original inhabitants. Today, it is produced in many rural communities and sold in stores and by street vendors in Jamaica and abroad. Bammies have been consumed since

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

times and is believed to have originated with the native

Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greate ...

people. For centuries, it was the bread staple for rural Jamaicans until the cheaper, imported

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

flour breads became popular in the post-World War II era. In the 1990s, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

and the Jamaican government established a program to revive bammy production and to market it as a modern, convenient food product.Bammy bread bounces back. ''Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations''
/ref> Bammy is made from bitter

(also called yuca and manioc in other American cultures). Traditionally, the cassava is grated and placed in a press bag (woven with thatch leaves) and placed in an outdoor press where heavy stones are loaded on. Once completely drained, but still a bit moist, the cassava is beaten in a mortar then sieved to a fine flour texture. Salt is then added to taste. The actual baking of bammies varies across Jamaican communities. Traditionally, it is made by spreading a handful of the flour evenly in a baking ring on a flat iron or griddle on the open fire. While baking, the top of the bammy is patted with a flat board and then turned over. The baking process takes about 3 minutes and the final product is a thin, foldable bread about 10" in diameter. This is similar to traditional tortillas of Native American cultures. It can then be eaten with whatever fillings are desired. The more modern (and popular) approach is to bake thicker bammies about 6" in diameter. These are often mass-produced in factories. When home-baked, the flour may be store-bought or made by hand-pressing. The bammy can be baked on griddles or in baking pans on a stove top. Some choose to bake it inside an oven, and to add butter and other spices before baking. Baking takes longer due to the thickness, and the final product is then cut into halves or wedges for freezing. When ready to eat, the wedges are soaked in coconut milk and then fried to a golden brown, and served with meat, fish, avocado, or other side dishes. Bammies, like wheat bread and tortillas, are served at any meal or consumed as a snack. Cassava that is fried is eaten in many other islands. Dominica call theirs Kalinago.Fried cassava is a common snack food in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and several Central American countries including Panama.

References

Jamaican cuisine Flatbreads Jamaican breads Cassava dishes Indigenous cuisine {{Jamaica-cuisine-stub

See also

References