Left: Mr. McDonald presses cassava flour so that it will take the shape of the rings. Right: Mr. Donald McDonald, local bammy producer, adds cheese to the centre of the ground cassava as he creates cheese bammies, one type of his 'special' bammies. - Photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Heis a man on a mission to change the conventional way of making bammies. Local bammy producer Donald McDonald, has added a few unique twists to his bammies - saltfish, raisins, garlic, butter and cheese. He also makes them the regular way.
Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter
Junior, as he is called, grew up in Waterhouse, Kingston. However, 12 years ago, a young 'damsel' led him to Linstead, St. Catherine. The fair lady was a bammy-maker and he quickly learnt the trade. He notes that he was born in June and 'June people' learn things very quickly.
Experience
The innovative bammy-maker grew up with five sisters. Though he was not a regular in the kitchen, except for 'running a boat' with friends, he is very versatile in that department. He says he loves to eat and whoever loves to eat, must love to cook.
Mr. McDonald said his entry into the bammy world was not out of love or passion but a means to an end. Before this, he sold breadfruit. Now making and selling bammies is his new source of income.
People who bought his regular bammies, often asked him to be a little more adventurous or sell other things. "So I decided to try something new. I thought saltfish bammy would be nice and you would not need fish on the side because it would already be incorporated. After that, they would only have to be heated then eaten. As a boy, I ate bammy and cheese so I thought why not add cheese too, you know, like cheese bread?" He explained that bammy might be considered a form of bread and so he later added butter.
He notes that his 'special' bammies (as he calls them), are only made to order. Garlic bammies are made with garlic powder but if people want garlic chunks instead, he will oblige. He told Food that soon he will be trying sweet potato bammy because he believes it will be interesting. Sweet potato and cassava are both tubers and in his opinion, that should make a good combination.
McDonald sells his bammies at Coronation Market downtown Kingston on Thursdays and Fridays. On Saturdays they are available in the May Pen Market, Clarendon. Soon, he hopes, they will be on supermarket shelves.
Regular-sized bammies in packs of three are sold for J$120. Smaller bammies in packs of 12 sell for J$150.
However, his special bammies are sold for J$250 for the large packs and $350 for the small ones.
Making bammies
A display of Mr. McDonald's delectable bammies.
The Process:
1. Peel skin from cassava then grind in a milling machine.
2. Remove excess water from ground cassava using a press machine to get it into a flour state.
3. Pass cassava through a sieve to make cassava flour then add salt to taste.
4. Wash aluminium or galvanised rings, then grease them. If it's a galvanised ring, wash and add a banana or coconut strip around the inner surface.
5. Place rings on heated stove (usually a flat surface) or a skillet. Then add cassava mixture in rings.
6. Press with fingers so that it takes the shape of the rings and let bake for about five minutes.
7. Remove from rings and serve hot if desired. Can also be set aside cooled then placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.
8. Remove from the refrigerator; cut larger bammies in four slices then pour coconut milk over it and let soak for about two minutes.
9. In a heated skillet that is lightly greased, add slices of bammy then cover lid.
10. Steam for about two minutes on both sides. But if you prefer you can heat oil and fry instead. Serve as accompaniment with steamed or fried fish.
