What Is Bammy? The Jamaican Cassava Flatbread Explained
Bammy is a Jamaican flatbread made from cassava, often eaten with fish. Here is what it is and where to buy it.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Bammy is a traditional Jamaican flatbread made from grated cassava, pressed into flat round cakes and cooked, with roots going all the way back to the island's indigenous Taino people. The grated cassava is prepared to remove its liquid, formed into rounds and cooked, and before serving bammy is usually soaked in coconut milk and then fried or steamed until soft inside and golden. It is naturally gluten free, mild and slightly chewy, and it is a classic partner to fish. In the UK bammy is sold ready-made by Caribbean and African food shops.
What to remember
- Bammy is a traditional Jamaican flatbread made from grated cassava.
- It dates back to the island's indigenous Taino people.
- The cassava is grated, pressed and formed into round cakes, then cooked.
- Before eating it is usually soaked in coconut milk and fried or steamed, and it is naturally gluten free.
- Bammy is sold ready-made by Caribbean and African food shops in the UK.
For Jamaican people in Britain, bammy is a taste of home and of heritage. It is the golden round soaked in coconut milk beside the fried fish, the mild, chewy bread eaten by the sea back home, the food that carries the island's oldest history. Cooking bammy far from home brings back seaside fish shops and family tables, the warmth of home in every soft, coconut-scented bite.
There is deep heritage in it too, in a bread that reaches back to the Taino and has been made and loved ever since. It reflects a whole culture of resourceful, historic, cassava-based cooking, and to prepare a good bammy is to keep that alive. Serving it with fish for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first taste, is a small act of welcome. That historic, comforting taste of home is the gift of bammy.
What Bammy Actually Is
Bammy is a round, flat Jamaican bread made from cassava, the starchy root also known as yuca or manioc. It is one of the island's oldest foods, with roots reaching back to the Taino, the indigenous people of Jamaica, who made a cassava flatbread long before others arrived, so bammy carries a deep heritage. The cassava is grated, and its liquid is pressed out, an important step with the traditional bitter cassava, then the grated cassava is formed into flat, firm round cakes and cooked, giving a dense, mild, slightly chewy bread that is naturally gluten free.
Bammy belongs to the world of Jamaican dishes we cover in our guide to Jamaican food, and it is made from the same root we cover in our guide to cassava. It is above all the classic partner to fish, served alongside fried fish and dishes like ackee and saltfish, soaking up the flavours beautifully.
How Bammy Is Made and Eaten
Traditionally, making bammy is a real process: the cassava is peeled and grated, and the liquid is squeezed out, which with bitter cassava removes the naturally occurring compounds so it is safe, then the dry grated cassava is pressed into round moulds and cooked on a griddle until it holds together into a firm cake. Most people in Britain buy bammy ready-made at this stage, as firm, part-cooked rounds, which saves all that work.
To serve, the bammy is finished, and the classic method is to soak the round in coconut milk for a while so it softens and takes on richness, then fry it, or sometimes steam or grill it, until it is soft and tender inside and golden outside. Finished bammy is mild, slightly sweet from the coconut, and satisfying, and it is most famously eaten with fish, such as fried fish or escovitch, as well as with ackee and saltfish or on its own. It is naturally gluten free. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Mild, chewy and historic, bammy is a Jamaican classic.
Bammy in Jamaican Food Culture
Bammy holds a special place in Jamaican food culture as a food of real heritage, one of the oldest things eaten on the island and a direct link to its indigenous Taino past. For generations it has been a beloved staple, especially along the coast and wherever fish is eaten, and the pairing of bammy with fresh fried fish is a classic of Jamaican eating, at the seaside, at the fish shop and at home. It is comforting, filling and deeply traditional.
Every household and maker has its own touch, but the grated cassava round, the coconut soak and the golden fry or steam are always at its heart, and the fish alongside is almost a given. For Jamaican people, bammy is a nostalgic taste of home and of heritage, and for anyone exploring Caribbean food, and especially anyone avoiding gluten, it is a lovely, historic bread to try. This article is general food and cultural information. Traditional and comforting, bammy is a treasured Jamaican classic.
Where to Buy Bammy in the UK
Buying bammy in Britain is easy, as it is sold ready-made by Caribbean and African food shops. These shops stock bammy as firm, part-cooked round cakes, fresh or frozen, ready for you to soak in coconut milk and fry or steam at home, which saves all the work of grating and pressing cassava. Staff can point you to the bammy and the coconut milk to go with it, and often the fish to serve alongside.
If you want to try bammy, a Caribbean or African food shop can point you to the ready-made rounds and the coconut milk. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where bammy is a familiar item. Soaked in coconut milk and fried golden, bammy brings a historic, gluten free taste of Jamaica to your table, especially alongside fish.
Frequently asked questions
What is bammy?
Bammy is a traditional Jamaican flatbread made from grated cassava, pressed into flat round cakes and cooked, with roots reaching back to the island's indigenous Taino people. Before eating it is usually soaked in coconut milk and then fried or steamed until soft inside and golden. It is naturally gluten free, mild and slightly chewy, and is a classic partner to fish.
What is bammy made from?
Bammy is made from cassava, the starchy root also known as yuca or manioc. The cassava is grated and its liquid is pressed out, an important step with traditional bitter cassava, then it is formed into firm round cakes and cooked. Because it is made purely from cassava, bammy is naturally gluten free.
How do you cook bammy?
Ready-made bammy rounds are usually soaked in coconut milk for a while so they soften and take on richness, then fried until soft inside and golden outside, though they can also be steamed or grilled. The coconut soak is the classic step that makes bammy tender and slightly sweet. It is then served hot, most often with fish.
What do you eat bammy with?
Bammy is most famously eaten with fish, such as fried fish or escovitch fish, the mild bread soaking up the flavours, and it is also served with ackee and saltfish or enjoyed on its own. The pairing of bammy with fresh fried fish is a classic of Jamaican eating, especially by the coast.
Where can I buy bammy in the UK?
Bammy is sold ready-made as firm, part-cooked round cakes, fresh or frozen, by Caribbean and African food shops, ready to soak in coconut milk and fry or steam at home. Staff can point you to the bammy and the coconut milk to go with it. You can find African food stores near you for bammy and everything to serve with it. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.