The Barbadian steamed pudding made from cornmeal, coconut, sweet potato, and spices is conkies.
Conkies are prepared by mixing cornmeal with grated coconut, sweet potato, pumpkin, sugar, and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until firm. Recipes differ, but the banana-leaf wrapping is a defining part of the traditional method.
In Barbados, conkies are strongly associated with Independence celebrations in November. Their history is often connected to African culinary traditions and to the island’s colonial-era foodways, where local crops were combined with imported seasonings and cooking techniques.
Conkies can be confused with pone, another Bajan sweet made from root crops or cornmeal. Pone is generally baked, while conkies are individually wrapped and steamed. The name is also spelled “conkie” in some accounts.