Looking to make a lifelong friend? Caribbean legend suggests that two  hours in a kitchen with sweet potatoes, pumpkin, coconut, and cornflower might just do the trick. Such is the power of the conkie.
Originating in West Africa, conkies have become a culinary favorite throughout the Caribbean. If properly prepared, some locals claim the gift of a conkie will secure a friendship for life.
The sweet dish, resembling a small, cornmeal-wrapped parcel is eaten with a meal or as a snack and gains popularity during holidays on St. Kitts. And, indeed, the rich concoction, steamed in banana leaves and lightly spiced, conjures the warm comforts of family, hearth, home, and holiday when its aroma fills the kitchen.

The 2012 Urban Dictionary presents the word conkie as a slang adjective used for describing anything awesome, super, sweet, or epic. And anyone who tasted Chef Damien’s take on the Caribbean palate pleaser at our recent Member Guest event can verify just how fitting its name really is.

Ready to cook up some conkie of your own?
http://caribbeanvegan.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/perfection-in-a-parcel-conkies-a-tutorial/