The Magic of Clay Pots

Published on Monday, April 21, 2008, by Kara Zuaro / Edit Post

Can handmade cookware make food taste better? According to Food & Wine’s Mouthing Off blog, cookbook author and Moroccan food expert Paula Wolfert “swears by cooking with clay,” while Deborah Madison waxes poetic about clay pots on Gourmet’s site:

My micaceous pot gives off the scent of minerals and earth when heated, and it cooks foods evenly and beautifully.

…

I can’t really say with any kind of proof why these foods seem to taste better than if they were cooked in more conventional pots, but I know that I enjoy the process more—the light feel of the clay and the soft sounds utensils make when they come in contact with the rim of a pot. I also just like to have the pots out where I can see them, because their shapes and colors are so enjoyable to look at.

Madison speaks of Felipe Ortega’s gorgeous handmade pottery, which can be purchased on his website or by contacting Café Pasqual’s Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico—but at $100 per quart plus shipping and handling, these pieces are pricey. For an inexpensive intro to clay pot cooking, check out Tagines, which carries a $28 hand-shaped clay tagine (which I own and love) as well as $28 cazuelas and $8 tagras, which work well as baking dishes.

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POST A COMMENT |9 Comments

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  • Please review my blog Mizner's Myths. I was searching for the lore of clay. Please inform about the type of clays used in your vessels. Thank you Mizner

  • Pat,
    It depends on what you are trying to cook. Personally, I think these pots really shine through when cooking beans or grains, but there are a host of shapes and sizes out there. You can contact me offline at stuart@mytoque.com if you want help finding the right pot for your needs.

  • Clay Pots make food taste better, I thought everybody already knew that. Not picking on Pat at all... just surprised The Grinder would spend time on such self evident truths!

  • Clay Pots make food taste better, I thought everybody already knew that. Not picking on Pat at all... just surprised The Grinder would spend time on such self evident truths!

  • I'm new to this website. Having just read about the clay pots makes me want to rush out and buy some to try. Before I go, please suggest what kinds and shapes that I should buy. Please don"t laugh but I have never heard of cooking with clay pots.

  • In the U.S. lead is not used in cookware. I believe it is against the law. However, pottery from Mexico does have lead. Low fire glazes
    (those brightly colored painted pieces) are the ones to look out for.
    Leaving any high acid foods (like a dressed salad ) in one of these bowls is not a good idea. Cooking in high fired pottery is usually safe. I agree with Deborah Madison and Paula Wolfert that...+READ

    In the U.S. lead is not used in cookware. I believe it is against the law. However, pottery from Mexico does have lead. Low fire glazes
    (those brightly colored painted pieces) are the ones to look out for.
    Leaving any high acid foods (like a dressed salad ) in one of these bowls is not a good idea. Cooking in high fired pottery is usually safe. I agree with Deborah Madison and Paula Wolfert that hand made pots make the food taste that much better. Perhaps that's because it's made by a human being not a machine.-COLLAPSE

  • I use at home and sell in my store Chamba cookware from Columbia. It definitely adds a nice smoky flavor to beans and grains that you can't get from other pots. It's great for vegetarians, because the use of a ham hock is trying to replicate the earthy flavor anyway.

    Both Deborah Madison (See page 48 and 155 of "Vegetable Soups") and Paula Wolfert use them, as does Steve from Rancho Gordo Beans....+READ

    I use at home and sell in my store Chamba cookware from Columbia. It definitely adds a nice smoky flavor to beans and grains that you can't get from other pots. It's great for vegetarians, because the use of a ham hock is trying to replicate the earthy flavor anyway.

    Both Deborah Madison (See page 48 and 155 of "Vegetable Soups") and Paula Wolfert use them, as does Steve from Rancho Gordo Beans. ranchogordo.com/html/rg_cook_claypots.htm

    They are available at www.MyToque.com/brands/la_chamba_cookware.html-COLLAPSE

  • So what are the chances of lead leeching out of the glaze while cooking?

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E2D91739F937A25755C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

  • I have thrown pottery for years and have a kitchen full of bowls, cups, and other wares. I can say that every time I cook it really does make the food taste better. It's silly, but I feel more in touch with the dining process from start to finish.