The origins of cassava pone

I’m trying to understand where cassava pone originated from i.e. the dessert. I saw on a Facebook post out of Guyana that someone was saying that cassava pone came from their African ancestors. Of course, this cannot be completely accurate as cassava originates from the Americas – notably the tropical Americas.

Cassava pone is a tray bake dessert made from grated cassava, coconut, milk and sometimes pumpkin. There seem to be similar types of pudding being made in other parts of the world particularly in the Philippines

But I question the idea cassava comes from African ancestors as cassava originates in the Caribbean and South America. Shigaki (2016) suggests that cassava pone originates from Trinidad and Tobago and then spread to the Caribbean. But I do wonder if this is a held belief rather than it being accurate, because, some of the cookbooks and cuisines of the Caribbean countries seem to lay a claim to it as well. Zackodnik (1999) cites a direct quotation from Claire Harris (b. 1939), a Trinidadian-born poet talks about her memories of childhood and mentions cassava pone, which suggests cassava pone was in existence during the 1940s/1950s in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ackerman (1976) in Dooley (2009) suggests that cassava pone was available in the Florida town of Basinger during its heyday as well as “tater pone”. Since Basinger began to dwindle during during 1929, this suggests that cassava pone was available in Florida before 1929 (Weiser-Alexander, 2020).

Theory 1: So, if it is available in Florida, this may suggest it has origins in the USA and that perhaps cassava pone was brought to Trinidad and Tobago through the Americans troops stationed in Trinidad during World War II from 1941 (Waller Air Force Base – Wikipedia, 2020).

However, Theory 1 has just been blown out the window. On Google Books, The Journal of the Board of Agriculture of British Guiana (1917 – volumes 10-12) has an entry for cassava pone (p.194). However, the Southern Cultivator and Industrial Journal (1895 – Volume 53 p. 503) also has an entry for cassava pone (unfortunately, only getting snippet view in Google Books and cannot see the full entry but if you’re in the USA you might be able to see the full entry) but not sure if it is a reference to the use in USA. Schnur and Cortright (2011) on their work in citrus citification record the enjoyment of a tapioca pudding by one of the farmers which he called cassava pone during the 1890s (p.18; Robert Lee McMullen – the farmer). However, where he lived there were a number of Bahamian families from the British empire and the question now was there a sharing of food and recipes? The Transactions of the Florida State Horticultural Society (1905 volume 5-21) suggests that cassava pone was not so common – as it spoke about sweet potato pone and then went on to explain how cassava could be used as a pudding (p.83 – just a Google snippet).

Theory 2: Pone came to the USA via the Caribbean

I’ve just found something really exciting that may confirm Theory 2. In Hawthone and Hawthorne (1836), there is an entry for “The cassava root or maniock” (p.436) which is republished of based on from Ligon’s History of Barbadoes (1673). From 1673!!! Ligon is describing a process of the Amerindians making cassava bread. It’s unclear whether pone that they are referring to is the grated cassava or it is the implement that is used to bake the cassava; but it seems most likely the pone is actually the implement on which cassava bread is made on. Ligon’s suggests that the cassava bread tastes really well in milk (where it has a taste of almonds) and this may be the beginning of the classic pone that we know!. He indicates that the Amerindians have suggested to make a pye-crust – could this be pone as we know it – as there is a suggestion that butter and eggs have been tried in a recipe? Cassava bread is still made in Guyana and some parts of South America but it is not so common in the Caribbean anymore. However, this does not confirm where the cassava pone as a dessert originates from.

In 1922, the West Indies Chronicle (volume 37), published a recipe for cassava pone (p.184) with no attribution which may suggest it was quite common place in 1922 in the West Indies. This is corroborated by Eric Walrond’s fictional book in 1926 called “Tropic Death” which mentions a Bajan shop who was famous for their cassava pone (p. 217). The recipe is quite similar to the ones made currently but it contains eggs which may suggest it is a Bajan recipe – the recipes from Guyana and Trinidad do not normally include eggs. The recipe from Guyana in 1917 – does not seem to have eggs (based on a Google snippet).

This gets confusing in trying to determine the origin as Vladimir Voinovich (1891) in his book on Table Talk (vol 6, p.125, 316, 343), mentions the terminology of pone but in the context of corn – which in later books are referred to either as corn pone or corn bread (The Overland Monthly, vol 58, 1911, p. 120) – and hence pone may sometimes refer to both a savoury or a pudding form.

The question is where did the sweet pudding of cassava form. It may be the cassava pone that is being referred to in the USA during the late 1800s is the savoury form. The earliest idea there might a sweet format is from the Transactions of the Florida State Horticultural Society (1905 volume 5-21) and possibly in the 1890s from the farmer Robert Lee Mueller. The sweet format is fairly common place around the 1910s (based on recipe from Guyana) and 1920s in the West Indies (based on West Indian recipe).

So, where did it originate and how did it spread? I’m still not any closer to the origins of cassava pone as a dessert but anyone out there who can share more light – please do share!

References

Zackodnik, T. (1999). Writing Home” Claire Harris’s” Drawing Down a Daughter. ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature, 30(3).

Shigaki, T. (2016). Cassava: The Nature and Uses. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00124-0

Dooley, T. L. (2009). Edna Pearce Lockett: Lady of the House. Florida Atlantic University.

Weiser-Alexander, K. (2020) Fort Basinger, Florida – Ghost Town on the Kissimmee River. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-basinger-florida/ (Updated February 2020)

Schnur, J. A., & Cortright, C. (2011). From Statehood to Citrus Citification, 1845-1904.

Hawthorne, N., & Hawthorne, E. M. (Eds.). (1836?). American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge (Vol. 2). Boston Bewick Company.