To make a conkie, cooks blend together grated pumpkin, grated sweet potato, grated coconut, cornmeal, sugar, butter, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This mixture is scooped onto a softened banana leaf, which is then folded over tightly into a neat parcel and tied with a strip of leaf or string.
The parcels are placed in a large pot over boiling water and steamed for up to an hour. As the steam penetrates the leaf, the conkie inside firms up into a solid, subtly sweet cake. When you unwrap one, the warm aroma of coconut and spice rises up in a cloud.
Conkies are deeply tied to Barbadian culture and memory — many Bajans remember their grandmothers making them. The tradition of cooking food wrapped in leaves is found in many cultures around the world, from Mexico (tamales) to Jamaica (duckunoo) to West Africa (kenkey), which shows how food connects people across continents.