Clay pot cooking

Clay pot cookingis a process ofcookingfoodin a pot made of unglazed or glazedpottery.
Cooking in unglazed clay pots which are first immersed in water dates at least to theEtruscansin first century BC but likely dates to several centuries earlier.The Romans adapted the technique and the cooking vessel, which became known as the Roman pot, a cooking vessel similar to those made since April 1967 by the German company Römertopf.According toPaula Wolfert, "all Mediterranean food used to be cooked in clay."
In theHan dynasty, pots unglazed on the exterior known asfus(now called sandy pots) were used for wet clay cooking.
In Japan clay pots are mentioned from the 8th century and originally referred to as nabe. As pots made from other materials entered use, the Japanese clay pots were distinguished by calling themdonabe;domeans clay or earth.
Cooking in clay pots became less popular once metal pots became available.Clay remained popular for those dishes that depended on the unique qualities of clay cooking; Food & Wine called out such dishes asbiryani,cassoulet,daube,tagine,jollof rice,kedjenou,cazuela, andbaked beans.
Clay cookers allow food to be cooked with minimal additional liquids or fats.
Individual clay beds are considered to provide specific properties for cooking, and cooking vessels of a particular type often are valued for being made of the traditional type of clay.Themicaceousclay found atTaos Puebloholds heat for a long time.The pots made from this clay are considered to contribute flavor to what is cooked within them.
The clay from Lake Biwa contains tiny fossils which incinerate and produce small pockets of air, which also hold heat.The pots made from this clay are considered to contribute to flavor to what is cooked within them.
Food & Winetested multiple dishes in multiple clay pots and said that "In test after test, we found that everything cooked in clay tasted better than the same recipes cooked in metal pans" and that the only drawback to using clay cooking vessels is that they were not indestructible.
Different cultures have different techniques of cooking food in clay pots. Some use pots that are fully finished byburnishingand therefore do not require the pot to be soaked each time before use. Some are unfinished and must be soaked in water for 30–45 minutes before each use to avoid cracking. The design and shape of the pot differ slightly from one culture to another to suit their style of cooking.
Seasoning is important to prevent cracking of the vessel when exposed to high heat. Clay pots are initially seasoned with oil and hot water but may be fully seasoned only after the first several uses, during which food may take longer to cook. It is also essential to avoid sudden temperature changes, which may cause the pot to crack. Heat should be started low and increased gradually both on the stovetop and in the oven.
The food inside the pot loses little to nomoisturebecause it is surrounded by steam, creating a tender, flavorfuldish. Water absorbed within the walls of the pot prevents burning so long as the pot is not allowed to dry completely. Because no oil needs to be added with this cooking technique, food cooked in clay is often lower in fat than food prepared by other methods.
The Chinese sandy pot and the Romertopf are both soaked before being filled with food and covered with the lid, which has also been soaked.Both pots go into a cold oven.The sandy pot can also be started on the stove on a burner set very low.
Food cooked in clay is widely considered to acquire an "earthy" taste from the pot. Pots used for many years are believed to acquire a seasoning that contributes to the dish, and cooks often hope to acquire the pots used by their predecessors.
In the Balkans multiple cuisines use a clay pot, often called agüveç, to cookghivetchand other related dishes.Thecomleksis a Turkish bean pot.
In the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana inIndia, the traditional pot used for cooking is calledchatti. There are many different types of pots used in the different cultures of North India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
In northern states, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, the cooking pots are calledhandi. Traditionally, Indian chefs could cook many dishes simultaneously by stacking handi while cooking.
People inSri Lankause clay pots to make many dishes includingpahifish curry, calledabul thiyal; accharu, a chutney; as well as some meats, rice, and several types of freshwater fish calledLula, Hunga, Magura and Kawaiya.
In China, the pot used for such cooking is generally known asshaguo(Chinese:砂鍋; pinyin:shāguō; Cantonese Yale:sāwō) orboujai(Chinese:煲仔; Cantonese Yale:bōu jái), a Cantonese word for 'little pot'. Clay pot dishes are sometimes labeled as 'hot pot' or 'hotpot' dishes on the menus of Chinese restaurants in English-speaking areas of the world, but they should not be confused withhot potdishes that are served in a large metal bowl and cooked at the table. In Taiwan, the chicken dishsanbeijiis prepared in a clay pot.
Another common Chinese clay pot is the sandpot or sandy pot, a round pot with a lid, glazed on the inside and unglazed on the outside, which allows them to be soaked before cooking but not add liquid to the ingredients.After soaking the pots are filled with food and placed in a cold oven or started over a very low burner.As of 1996 sandy pots were made in various sizes from individual serving sizes to 5 quart sizes.They are made from a specific clay which is mixed with sand before a very high-temperature firing.The sandy pot evolved from thefu, which was used in the Han dynasty to cook a dish calledweng.
Common dishes areclaypot riceandlittle pot rice.
InJapan, thedonabeis a traditional cooking vessel.It is made from a clay that is porous and coarse.In the area around Iga,Iga-yaki(Iga-style)donabe, have been made since 1832;Iga-yakipottery in general dates back to the 7th century and is highly valued.It became particularly popular fordonabeduring theEdo period.The highest-qualitydonabecan take two weeks to make.There are multiple styles ofdonabemade for the preparation of different dishes.
Donabecan be used over an open flame, and food is often served out of thedonabe.
A culture surroundingdonabedeveloped callednabe o kakomu, which means 'surrounding the pot' or a communal meal.The concept has been featured repeatedly in the media and indonabecookbooks.According to Naoko Takei Moore,donabeculture "teaches the concept ofichigo-ichie, or "every moment is a once-in-a-lifetime treasure".
With use,donabedevelop a patina of crackling of the interior glaze calledkannyu. This patina is valued as a sign of character.
In Korea, the earthenware pot is calledddukbaegi, often used for soups as seen in Korean restaurants. The stone pot is calleddolsot, which is heavier and has a more marbled appearance, used to cookdolsot bibimbap.
Thestew-like dishkhois cooked in a pot. The pot is most often callednồi đấtinVietnamese, although, depending on its size and use, it may also be callednồi kho cá,nồi kho thịt,nồi kho tiêu, ornồi kho tộ.
The traditional pot used for cooking is thepalayok.
The traditional pot used for cooking is calledkualiorgentong. The famous cuisine isempal gentong(beef with coconut milk soup).Chinese Indonesiansapo tahuistofuand vegetables cooked in claypot.
Traditionally, all food was cooked in specialized clay pots. Some traditional dishes are still cooked in clay pots as the same flavor cannot be achieved with metal cookware.
Thetajineis a North African, two-piece pot used in Moroccan cuisine. The bottom part is a broad, shallow bowl, while the top is tall and conical, or sometimes domed.The tall lid acts to condense rising steam and allow the moisture to roll back down into the dish.The tajine lends its name to the meat stew that is typically cooked in this pot.
Another Moroccan clay pot is thetagra, which is used to bake fish.A Moroccan bean pot is thegedra.
In French cuisine thedaubiereis used to cookdaubes.Atripiereis a specialized earthenware pot for cookingtripe.Thediableis an unglazed potbellied container used to dry-cook chestnuts or potatoes.The tian is a low rectangular pan for makingtiansor gratins.
Clay roasting pots calledRömertopf('Roman pot') are a recreation of the wet-clay cooking vessels used by the Etruscans, and appropriated by the Romans, by at least the first century BC.They are used for a variety of dishes in the oven and are always immersed in water and soaked for at least fifteen minutes before being placed in a cold oven.Since its introduction in 1967, it has influenced cooking traditions in Germany and neighbouring countries.
Ayiouvetsiis similar to agüveç.Moussakais made in these.
In Spanish cooking a ceramic roaster known asolla de barrois used.Another clay pot used in Spain is thecazuela.
Thepignattais a vase-shaped pot used for cooking beans in the coals of a fireplace or in a wood-fired oven.Another Italian clay pot is thetiella, which is a wide glazed clay pot used in Apulia and Calabria.In Tuscany thecoccioandfiascoare bean pots.
Dishes commonly prepared in clay pots includeribollita.
Clay pots are used in various South American dishes, includingcazuela, which is named for the Spanish cooking pot.
Native American civilizations traditionally cooked in clay pots, although they fell out of favor after European settlers' introduction of metal cookware.In the modern United States some cooks choose to use clay pots for health or environmental reasons.InNew Englandand other regions,baked beanswere traditionally cooked withsalt porkin abeanpotin abrick ovenfor six to eight hours.In the absence of a brick oven, the beans were cooked in a beanpot nestled in a bed of embers placed near the outer edges of a hearth, about a foot away from the fire. "Bean hole" cooking may have originated with the nativePenobscot peopleand later practiced in logging camps. A fire would be made in a stone-lined pit and allowed to burn down to hot coals, and then a pot with seasoned beans would be placed in the ashes, covered over with dirt, and left to cook overnight or longer. The beans were a staple of New Englandlogging camps, served at every meal.
Clay pot cookingat the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject