Advantages and disadvantages of cooking in Mexican clay pots

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Have you eaten some beans out of a clay pot and felt that with each tablespoon you are closer to heaven? It is not accidental. Food 

Have you eaten some beans taken from a  clay pot and felt that with each tablespoon you are closer to heaven? It is not accidental. The food prepared in this type of container is especially delicious.

Like everything, this has its explanation. The clay pots have its advantages and disadvantages , and today we’ll talk about them.

Advantages of this material

They work just as well with dry food as with broth. In clay you can make the same red rice, as a mole or a chicken broth. Not just any material is as versatile as this one.

– They perfectly keep the heat. In fact, it is recommended that if you cook something in a clay pot , you remove it from the heat a little before it is fully cooked. This is so that it is ready in time, gradually and away from the heat source.

– As they have glazed surfaces, they are easy to wash and to empty of the remaining food that remains on them. For this to happen, remember, before using them for the first time, soak them in water at room temperature for 10 hours. That will serve to “heal”.

– They endure high temperatures. And it applies the same if you cook with them in a bread oven, as in an electric oven, microwave oven or directly on a stove with dry logs. Fortunately, today the vast majority of utensils made of clay are already free of added toxic metals in their enamels.

– Its porosity allows perfect cooking. This, because they maintain a balance of the liquids in your recipe. In addition, they achieve long cookings over medium heat without damage. If you still did not know what to do the little pig of your dreams, here is the answer.

The counterpart

Although the result of cooking with clay pots is exceptional, the truth is that you should also know what the disadvantages might be.

– Its fragility. This type of material is usually brittle. Unlike a metal pot, if it falls it breaks. That is why it is recommended to keep your clay dishes in a special space in your kitchen, where nothing can harm them.

– Lead toxicity. According to an article  by the Ministry of Health, the enamel of clay pots is made with a mixture of silica and lead oxide, which is melted and applied liquid on the surface of the container, and then baked.

“Since the temperatures used to cook the utensils are not very high, the lead particles are not removed nor do they remain fixed to the enamel. So when the enamel comes into contact with water or food (especially acids), the lead is released from the enamel and deposits in them, contaminating them. ”

Exposure of children and adults to lead affects brain development, lowers IQ, can impair hearing and kidney function. In mothers, its consumption is related to less development of the fetus and higher risk of abortion.

The Ministry of Health signed an agreement with Fonart, as well as with the Executive Commission of the Restaurant Industry, to implement the Strategy for the Comprehensive Management of Lead in the Pottery Regions of the Mexican Republic. It will eradicate the use of lead in the glaze of glazed china used to prepare, serve and store food.

The next time you want to buy such china, be sure to find out how it was made. Eating from a clay pot is delicious, but you have to do it responsibly!

Source: gourmetdemexico.com.mx

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