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CLAY AND FOOD
Many people think that cooking in clay vessels is the new fad, but this is far from the truth, in fact, cooking with clay vessels dates back to our earliest and oldest civilizations. Despite the numerous differences with civilizations of the past, the one binding or common feature seems to have been their practice of cooking food in clay. From the Japanese in the East, to the Native Americans in the West, all our ancestors seemed to have shared this common ground. While some may argue that they were probably not advanced enough to use other material, their expert use of metals like copper, bronze and iron, rule out this argument. For all we know, they might have had much more knowledge of the benefits of cooking in clay pots than we do today, and here is why:
Food cooked in clay pots is synonymous with food cooked perfectly, for clay vessels have the unique quality of locking in all the steam and vapor that evaporates during cooking, thereby retaining all the nutrients of the food. The added advantage is that when this locking in of steam and vapor happens, the food gets cooked in its own oils and liquids, this reduces the need to add more oil and/or water.
Today there is much talk on the health issues related to environmental toxins (chemical and metal) and one of the significant ways these metal ions can get into our bodies is through the vessels we cook our food in. These seemingly innocent and shiny metal vessels react to food during the cooking process (under high heat) and leach metallic ions into the food. Intake of such metal ions, even in small quantities disrupts the basic metabolic functioning of the body which in turn is one of the causes for various diseases. (click here to read more).
Clay cookware on the other hand is inert by nature and does not react with the food. Our cookware is made from terra-cotta clay – a rich and potent matter that is naturally occurring on the surface of the earth. It is composed of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium etc, which are essential to our body. And these minerals are bound together so perfectly in nature, that they do not react or leach into the food being cooked in them.
Clay pots cook food with far-infrared heat (FIR). This type of heat is unique to clay cooking and helps carry spices and seasoning much deeper into the food, giving it that extra special touch in flavor. An added advantage is that this feature also helps you reduce the use of salt, and is therefore ideal for low-sodium diets. This superior form of heat also helps in cooking vegetables and meat evenly. Unevenly cooked food will now be a thing of the past with clay pots.
Clay pots retain heat better than any other cookware. Their immense heat-retaining capacity helps food stay hot longer, saving the need to heat and re-heat. Food stays warm for upto 5 to 6 hours. Also, since they retain heat so well, you can safely turn off the stove 5 to 7 minutes earlier than you usually do and rest assured that your food will be cooked the same, and taste better! To really understand the heat retaining capacity of the pot; consider this--clay pots can retain heat so well, so much so that even though the food inside it is cooking and boiling (350 to 450 degree F) the outside walls of the pot are not hot enough to burn your hands/fingers--thats how much heat it can retain just within the inside walls!
And last but not the least, our clay pots are a 100 % green! The clay we use for our cookware is a fully renewable resource, found abundantly on the surface of the earth. What is more, our pots are one hundred percent natural, with no added chemicals or metals. Once they reach the end of their useful period (which could be several decades long), they can just be returned to the earth causing no damage as they are completely bio-degradable! Using our clay pots will reduce many of the risks to the environment caused by the mining and processing of metal cookware.
Miriam's earthen cookware is manufactured right here in the United States, in Boston MA. The clays used to create our terra cotta pots are carefully selected and strictly controlled to ensure that they are lead and cadmium free. Clay by itself is a pure ingredient of nature just like rain water. It is made up of various minerals essential to the body, contained in perfect proportions. Human activity however may contaminate the top soil, which is why we use clay from two to three feet underground and harvest it from less populated areas and lake and river beds. This clay then undergoes testing to ensure that it is pure. MEC pots are not glazed because we strongly believe that nature is beautiful just the way it is. Glazing not only requires the addition and use of toxic chemicals but also limits the functionality of the pot. They are hardened in fires up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit to make them quite durable. Our modern, patent-pending variety of pots are both multi-functional and versatile. These pots can be used for cooking soups and stews and also for braising, Risottos rice and pastas. They can also be used for sautéing vegetables and making all kinds of curries and gravies. They can be used on the stove top AND in the oven. Their unique design makes them easy to use and clean.
Miriam Kattumuri,
Founder, Miriam's earthen cookware
