The bokit is a typical sandwich from Guadeloupe which is fried in hot oil. This West Indian speciality, which is derived from a kind of fried bread called johnny cake borrowed by settlers in New England from Native Americans, is thought to have emerged after the abolition of slavery, around the year 1850. At that time, workers who were too poor to buy bread adapted the recipe, preparing a yeast-free bread cooked in a pan of hot oil.
Nowadays, bokit usually consists of flour, lard, water, salt and yeast. It can be eaten as is, but it is usually filled with different ingredients, such as cod, tuna, ham, chicken or conch. Soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, bokit also tastes delicious!
Each year in July, the village of Deshaies organises a bokit festival, an opportunity to have fun while enjoying this delicious speciality.