Pom is a Surinamese baked dish made from chicken and the yellow-orange root vegetable called pomtajer.
The dish usually has a savory chicken layer surrounded by grated pomtajer mixed with citrus juice, spices, and a sauce. It is assembled in a baking dish and cooked until the root mixture develops a browned surface. Some recipes use other meats, but chicken is the most familiar modern version.
Pom reflects Suriname’s multicultural food history. Its preparation combines Jewish-Surinamese influence with ingredients and techniques that developed in the colony’s broader African, Indigenous, Asian, and European communities. The root used for the dish is native to tropical South America and is not the same as an ordinary sweet potato.
Visitors sometimes mistake pom for a fruit dessert because of its name or golden color. In Surinamese cuisine it is a savory centerpiece, often served at celebrations and family meals, especially alongside rice and vegetables.