Cassava Pone

Cassava pone is not pretty. It sits on the table like a brick wrapped in banana leaf, dark as burnt sugar, dense enough to anchor a boat. You cut it with a proper knife, not a cake server. The slice holds its shape.

The smell is what you remember first — coconut, cinnamon, something caramelised and patient. It takes hours to make properly. You grate the cassava by hand if you respect the process, though a food processor will do if your knuckles are tired. The coconut goes in fresh, never dried. Brown sugar, not white. Grated ginger. A splash of vanilla if you have it, but the old women never needed it.

The batter is wet and grainy, the colour of wet sand. It goes into a heavy pan, covered, and bakes low and slow. Some people steam it. Some bake it in a Dutch pot with coals on top. The method matters less than the patience. Rush it and you get mush. Wait it out and you get pone.

It is not a dessert in the Western sense. You do not serve it with cream or ice cream. You eat it as it is, sometimes with a cup of strong tea, sometimes with nothing at all. It is filling in a way that cake is not. One slice and you are done.

The texture is what divides people. It is sticky, chewy, almost gummy in the centre. The edges crisp up if you are lucky. Some people love the pull of it, the way it sticks to your teeth. Others find it too heavy, too much work. There is no middle ground with pone.

It shows up at weddings, funerals, Christmas, any gathering where food is meant to last. It keeps for days wrapped in foil. It travels well. Guyanese people carry it on planes, pack it in suitcases, bring it to potlucks in London and Toronto. It arrives intact.

The recipe below is the one my aunt used, the one her mother used before her. The measurements are loose because pone does not demand precision. It demands feel.

Cassava Pone

• 2 lb cassava, peeled and grated
• 1 coconut, grated (or 2 cups dried, if you must)
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup melted butter
• ½ cup coconut milk
• Pinch of salt

Mix everything in a large bowl. The batter should be wet but not runny. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 175°C for 90 minutes, covered with foil. Uncover for the last 20 minutes to brown the top. Let it cool completely before cutting. Serve at room temperature.

It will not win beauty contests. It will sit on the table like it owns the place.