Asham is a quick and easy 2 ingredient Caribbean corn based old school snack made from shelled corn that is parched then ground to a fine texture and sweetened to taste.
If you are looking for an original Caribbean delicacy that is cheap, and easy then asham is what you need. This hidden treasure is a sugary sweet corn snack made from two ingredients.
No mortar and pestle is required, you no longer have to wait for corn to be harvested because you can make this any time of the year using fresh or frozen corn pieces with the aid of a dehydrator.
What is asham?
Asham is a corn based treat that does back to days of the African and indigenous people where corn on the cob is dried.
The corn kernels are then shelled and put into a hot pot to be parched. Once parched, a mortar and pestle is used to pound the asham into a fine consistency.
The corn is sieved and then sugar is added to the golden mixture. The finishing result can be eaten using a spoon, by hand or mixed with water.
Asham is snacked on throughout most of the Caribbean including Grenada. It is known by the name of Chili Bibi in Trinidad and Tobago and Chanm Chanm in Haiti.
Making this snack at home
Asham isn't the type of snack that is made at home, you tend to buy it. However I have never seen it sold in the UK or outside of the Caribbean.
This is the reason why I decided to make my own because it's so easy to make and not seeing it sold made me think of anyone who was raised in the Caribbean or of Caribbean heritage who maybe familiar with this snack.
My grandmother made asham only a handful of times and while it might be considered a poor mans food just like Saltfish Turn Cornmeal and Cornmeal Cou Cou .
For me, I love to showcase these types of recipes because they are slowly becoming obsolete and to keep the culture alive
Ingredients you will need
The type of corn to use and the method
- Air dried corn on the cob: You can buy dried corn on the cob during the peak of harvest. It's so much easier to purchase corn when it is dried, saves a lot of time and hassle.
- Dehydrator corn: I personally dry loose corn kernels in my dehydrator for 8-10 hours.
- Oven method: There's also the option of drying the corn in the oven on low temperature for up to 10 hours. I don't have any experience with drying corn in the oven. I am merely aware of what options are out there.
- Popcorn Kernels: is a very accessible method especially outside of corn season to make asham however, you do need to be mindful of the kernels forming into popcorn. I have tried this method and it works, I quickly remove the kernels from the stove as they are begin to form.
Taking all of the above into consideration of I would recommend dehydrating some loose sweet corn (organic if possible).
It doesn't matter if they are frozen simply rinse in lukewarm water and blot off the excess water before leaving them to dry out in the dehydrator over a period of several hours.
How to make Jamaican asham
- If dehydrating, place the loose corn on the dehydrator tray and spread them out. Set your unit 70c (158F) and dry them for 8-10 hours.
- Place the dried corn in a skillet/dutch pot/oven.
- To start the parching process bring a skillet/dutch pot/oven to medium heat. The sweet corn kernels will turn light brown as they parch. If using popcorn kernels follow the same method, however once the corn begins to pop remove the kernels from the heat (don't allow multiple kernels to become popcorn).
- Allow to cool down before grinding the kernels using a spice/coffee grinder/blender with an dry container or do it old school using pestle and mortar.
- Once the corn is ground (depending on the consistency, sieve the entire contents. I didn't do this because my spice grinder is very powerful.
- Then add the coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
Notes and tips
- If using corn on the cob try to get hold of corn that is already dried although this tends to be more accessible during the harvest.
- Coconut sugar isn't as sweet and has a low GI index so great for anyone with high blood sugar. You can also mix raw organic cane sugar with coconut sugar to give it a sweet edge.
- Corn on the cob needs to be shelled first before you can begin parching so make sure to do that first.
- Loose sweet corn kernels work just fine, frozen or fresh. Frozen sweet corn can be defrosted quickly in warm water then blotted completely dry.
- I dehydrate my corn for roughly 8 hours. Depending the brand/model of your unit be prepared to dry your corn for up to 10 hours.
- Store your asham in an air tight mason jar/ air tight container. It should last for a few weeks.
- You can double or triple the amount of corn used for a larger batch of asham.
- For powdery asham make sure your grinder/blender is powerful. If not, sieve the asham to get the texture you desire.
- If drying the corn in the oven you would do so on the lowest setting for up to 10 hours. I don't have first hand experience doing this though, this information is based on feedback as I always use my dehydrator.
- This recipe makes about ¾ of a small mason jar
Try these other Jamaican recipes
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Jamaican Asham
Equipment
- Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 2 cups of loose sweet corn kernels (or use 1 cup of popcorn kernels) double/triple the amount for a larger quantity
- coconut sugar to taste (can use raw organic cane sugar or a mixture of both)
Instructions
- If dehydrating, place the loose corn on the dehydrator tray and spread them out. Set your unit 70c (158F) and dry them for 8-10 hours.
- Place the dried corn in a skillet/dutch pot/oven and spread out evenly.
- To start the parching process bring a skillet/dutch pot/oven to medium heat. sweet corn kernels will turn light brown as they parch. If using popcorn kernels follow the same method, however once the corn begins to pop remove the kernels from the heat (don't allow multiple kernels to become popcorn).
- Allow to cool down before grinding the kernels using a spice/coffee grinder/blender with an affix dry container or do it old school using a pestle and mortar.
- Once the corn is ground (depending on the consistency) sieve the entire contents. I didn't do this because my spice grinder is very powerful.
- Then add the amount of coconut sugar to taste.
Video
Notes
- If using corn on the cob try to get hold of corn that is already dried although this tends to be more accessible during the harvest.
- Coconut sugar isn't as sweet and has a low GI index so great for anyone with high blood sugar. You can also mix raw organic cane sugar with coconut sugar to give it a sweet edge.
- Corn on the cob needs to be shelled first before you can begin parching so make sure to do that first.
- Loose sweet corn kernels work just fine, frozen or fresh. Frozen sweet corn can be defrosted quickly in warm water then blotted completely dry.
- I dehydrate my corn for roughly 8 hours. Depending the brand/model of your unit be prepared to dry your corn for up to 10 hours.
- Store your asham in an air tight mason jar/ air tight container. It should last for a few weeks.
- You can double or triple amount of corn used for a larger batch of asham.
- For powdery asham make sure your grinder/blender is powerful. If not, sieve the asham to get the texture you desire.
- If drying the corn in the oven you would do so on the lowest setting for up to 10 hours. I don't have first hand experience doing this though, this information is based on feedback as I always use my dehydrator.
- This recipe makes about ¾ of a small mason jar
Betty Ann Rowlett says
I love that I found your site by looking up Corn Asham. I'll be trying a cheat version of this soon as I found ground fine Roasted Corn in the Caribbean market.
Charla says
Hi Betty, welcome and enjoy your asham.