Bokit is a Guadeloupean sandwich made from fried bread filled with meat, fish, cheese, or vegetables.
The bread is prepared from a dough that is shaped into rounds and fried, producing a pocket or sturdy bun with a crisp exterior and soft interior. It is then opened and filled with ingredients such as chicken, cod, ham, cheese, salad, and sauces. Recipes differ between vendors and households.
Bokit is commonly linked to the culinary history of Guadeloupe after the abolition of slavery. Fried breads became an important food because they could be made from inexpensive staple ingredients and filled with whatever was available. The sandwich later developed into a popular street food.
Bokit is not the same as a Jamaican festival or an Aruban pastechi. Festival is a sweet fried dough often served with fish, while pastechi is a filled turnover. Bokit’s hallmark is the fried bread used as a sandwich shell.