Bammy

Bammyis a traditionalJamaicancassavaflatbreaddescended from the simple flatbread calledcasabe, eaten by theArawaks/Taínos, Jamaica's indigenous people.Variations ofbammyexist throughout the Americas. It is produced in many rural communities and sold in stores and by street vendors in Jamaica and abroad.
Bammieshave existed sincepre-Columbiantimes, and they originated from the nativeArawak/Taínopeople.They are made withcassava(also calledyucaormanioc) indigenous toMesoamerica, and was a staple crop of the Arawaks / Taínos, which they cultivated inconucos.Cassava was also integral to their existence, as it featured prominently in their worship.Yúcahu, a major Taíno god, whose name has been translated to‘spirit of the cassava’, was thegod of cassavaand the sea.A minor Taíno god related to growing cassava, the process of life, creation and death,Baibrama, was worshipped for his assistance in growing cassava and curing people from its poisonous juice.
According to the curator of theJamaica National Heritage Trust, Ann-Marie Howard Brown, the Arawaks / Taínos used a small, sharp, flat stone (celt) to peel and cut the cassava, which they would then grate on aguaio / guayo, a wooden frame embedded with small stones and pieces of coral or a stone grater, until it was reduced to a pulp.They would then place the pulp in a large funnel-shaped basket called amatapi, which was hung from a tree for extraction of the juice.Once the desired consistency was achieved, the mixture was placed on a stone structure called ametate, and a smallerground stonecalled amano, was used like a modern rolling pin to grind to the consistency ofcassava flour.This would then be moulded to circles in the desired size, and baked onearthenwaregriddles calledburéns.
The Arawaks / Taínos passed on this tradition to the enslaved Africans, and some aspects of the original method of preparingbammyare still practised in parts of St Elizabeth and South East Manchester today.
For centuries, it was the bread staple for rural Jamaicans until the cheaper, importedwheatflour breads became popular in the post-World War II era.
In the 1990s, theUnited Nationsand the Jamaican government established a program to revivebammyproduction and to market it as a modern, convenient food product.
Bammiesare currently produced and sold in supermarkets across Jamaica. They are also prepared and served in many restaurants, especially seafood or beachside restaurants in Jamaica.
Bammyis made from bittercassava. 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 ofbammiesvaries across Jamaican communities. Traditionally, it is made by spreading a handful of the flour evenly in a baking ring, on a flat iron griddle on the open fire, or in aDutch pot.While baking, the top of thebammyis 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 traditionaltortillasofMesoamericancultures. It can then be eaten with whatever fillings are desired.
The more modern (and popular) approach is to bake thickerbammiesabout 6" in diameter.These are often mass-produced in factories. When home-baked, the flour may be store-bought or made by hand-pressing.Thebammycan 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 until golden brown or steamed,and served with meat, fish, seafood, avocado, or other side dishes.Bammies, likefestivals, wheat bread and tortillas, are served anytime or consumed as a snack.
Several variations of cassava bread and fried cassava are eaten in other islands likeCuba, theDominican RepublicandHaiti— whereUNESCOhas recently recognised cassava bread as anIntangible Heritage of Humanity.Fried cassava and cassava breads are common snacks inBrazil, where they are calledtapioca, andcasabeinVenezuela,Colombia,Ecuador, and severalCentral Americancountries includingPanama,Belize,Honduraset al. In St Vincent, cassava bread is calledbambamorareba(theGarifunaword for "cassava-eaters"),and in Dominica, several types of cassava breads were made by theKalinagos(anotherArawakansubgroup).