Although clay cookware has only just begun to spread in North America and especially in the US, becoming more and more popular with each passing day, pure clay pots have been used in other cultures for centuries. What’s even more interesting is that in every kitchen around the world, the same, very basic crock pot cooking is done very differently.
Clay kitchen utensils in Asian cuisine
It is no surprise that China is one of the countries that has used pure clay pots for hundreds of years. It is mainly used for chicken dishes that are labeled “hotpot”, which are different from the “hot pot” dishes you see on menus, the latter being cooked at the table and served in metal bowls. The Sri Lankan people also make great use of the clay pot which is locally called pahi and they use it efficiently for rice and fish curry. In Vietnam, pots have different names depending on their size and are most often used for stews.
Clay cooking utensils in African cuisine
When you think of pure clay cookware and Africa, your mind goes straight to Morocco as the image of potters toiling in the narrow and small streets is striking. However, this is definitely not the only country on the African continent that regularly uses clay pots, as Ethiopia has been using this type of cookware since ancient times. The reason is that there are several recipes in Ethiopian cuisine that have a very distinct and special flavor, which cannot be replicated in metal cookware.
Pure Clay Pots in Europe
European cuisine discovered clay cookware a bit later than Africans and Asians, but put it to good use nonetheless. In Germany, it is mainly used for cooking meat, especially roast pork, therefore it is used in the oven. The same goes for Spain and many of the Eastern European countries use them for both oven dishes and stovetop cooking. Although the European continent came on the plate a little later, its variety in kitchens made the use of clay pots and pans very diverse and some countries use these vessels not only for meat dishes, but also for vegetables, soups , yogurts and more. .
Cooking in a Crock Pot in the United States
Finally, as mentioned above, pure clay cookware is only just making a comeback. These vessels used to be very popular with the Native American civilizations, but when the Europeans arrived, metal cookware took over. However, as Americans become increasingly environmentally and health conscious, china is making a strong comeback. If the trend persists, crock pot cooking will likely become the most common type of cooking done in American homes.
