Jamaica's oldest bread — cassava flatbread from the indigenous Taíno Arawak people, adopted by enslaved Africans and now a Jamaican staple. Soaked in coconut milk and fried alongside escovitch fish.
In Jamaica, bammy alongside fried fish at the beach or at a roadside fish stand is one of the most iconic food memories. The combination — crispy fried fish, soft coconut bammy, escovitch sauce — is the Jamaican weekend at the sea.
Bammy is naturally gluten-free — made entirely from cassava starch. Its resistant starch feeds gut bacteria similarly to green plantain and green banana. The traditional preparation (soaking in coconut milk before frying) adds MCTs and reduces the glycemic index of the cassava starch by partially gelatinizing it. For Black American individuals with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease — which may be underdiagnosed in Black Americans who are rarely screened — bammy provides a culturally contextual gluten-free flatbread option.
Grate peeled cassava, squeeze out excess liquid (critical for safety — removes hydrogen cyanide). Press into rounds. Dry fry or griddle cook on both sides until firm. Before serving: soak bammy rounds in coconut milk for 15-20 min. Fry in oil until golden and soft-centered, or steam with coconut milk in a covered pan. Serve alongside fried fish, escovitch, or ackee.
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