In brief
- Bokit is a flat fried bread, split and filled: the emblematic street sandwich of Guadeloupe
- Origin: Guadeloupe, a bread born in the 19th century, turned into a sandwich in Pointe-à-Pitre in the 1960s
- Essential ingredients: wheat flour, baker's yeast, water, fat, filling of your choice
- Eaten on the go, a star of Guadeloupean street food
Origins and cultural history of bokit
Bokit descends from johnny cake (or journey cake), a fried flour flatbread whose use spread through the Caribbean from the English-speaking colonies. It became this bread of necessity, born in Guadeloupe in the mid-19th century, after the abolition of slavery in 1848, prepared with few resources by the workers of the sugar plantations.
Its current sandwich form dates from the 1960s: in Pointe-à-Pitre, the cook Mathurine Parnas had the idea of splitting the fried bread in two to fill it, creating the bokit as we know it today. Since then, it has established itself in the streets and markets of Guadeloupe as one of the most popular dishes of Caribbean street food; the word entered the Petit Larousse and the Petit Robert dictionaries in 2025.
What are the essential ingredients of bokit
Bokit dough is prepared with a few basic ingredients, worked like a leavened bread dough, then fried. The filling, meanwhile, varies according to preferences and each family's habits.
- wheat flour
- baker's yeast
- lukewarm water
- fat (margarine or lard)
- frying oil
- filling of your choice: chicken, salt cod, ham, cheese, raw vegetables
What to know about bokit
Bokit is a fried flatbread, split in two and filled: it is the street sandwich of Guadeloupe. The dough, made from wheat flour, baker's yeast, warm water and a little margarine or lard, is worked like a risen bread dough before being fried. The filling varies from one family to another: chicken, flaked salt cod, ham or cheese, with raw vegetables and a choice of sauce. It is eaten on the go, in the street and at the markets.
Frequently asked questions about bokit
Can bokit dough be prepared in advance?
Yes: the dough can rise for several hours in the refrigerator, covered with a damp cloth, before being shaped and fried. In that case, allow a little more time for it to return to room temperature before frying.
What to put in a bokit?
The most common fillings are chicken, flaked salt cod, ham or cheese, combined with raw vegetables (lettuce, tomato, onion) and a sauce of your choice: mayonnaise, ketchup or Caribbean hot sauce.
Where to find bokit ingredients in France?
NKOSI sells a selection of Caribbean spices and condiments on nkosiagro.com and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
