Surinamese pom is a baked casserole made from pomtayer, chicken, and a citrus-seasoned sauce.
Pomtayer is the grated root of the tannia plant, also called malanga or Xanthosoma. In pom, the grated root is layered with prepared chicken and a sauce commonly flavored with citrus, tomatoes, onions, and spices before baking. The root develops a firm, rich texture as it cooks.
Pom is widely regarded as a Surinamese national dish and reflects the country’s strongly multicultural food history. Its development is associated with Jewish-Surinamese cooking and the adaptation of a local root to a casserole format.
The name can be confused with the fruit “pom,” but the dish is not made from pomegranate. It is also different from Indonesian-influenced Surinamese dishes such as nasi or bami. Because raw tannia can irritate the mouth, the grated root must be properly cooked.