Jamaican bammy is cassava bread made by grating cassava, pressing it dry, and baking it.
Bammy has Indigenous Caribbean roots and is especially connected with the Taíno tradition of processing cassava. Fresh cassava is grated, and the pulp is pressed to remove liquid before being shaped into a flat cake. It is then cooked on a griddle or baked, often producing a firm, dense bread.
Modern Jamaican servings may soak bammy in coconut milk before frying or baking it again. It is commonly served with fish, making it a familiar accompaniment rather than a sweet pastry. The preparation also reflects the importance of cassava as a staple crop in tropical America.
Bammy is often confused with festival, but festival is a sweet fried dough made from wheat flour and cornmeal. Coco bread is a soft wheat bread, while bammy is defined by cassava and its pressed, flat form.