The most compelling reason to start cooking in unglazed earthen pots comes from the one thing it doesn’t do—leach harmful metals into your food.
Beyond being good for just you and your food, unglazed earthen pots hold a lot of promise for the environment. Because they essentially come from the soil, they very readily decompose right back into it when you dispose of them, to be completely bio-degradable, unlike Teflon pans and steel pots which take up space in Goodwill aisles or fill up landfills.
One other Dr. says, “The health benefits of cooking in a clay pot are vast. Firstly, clay pots add many important nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, and sulfur to food, which is extremely beneficial to our body. Clay is also alkaline and thus, acts to neutralize the acidity in the food, which makes it easier for us to digest. Importantly, oil is not necessary for cooking in a clay pot and thus, it is observed that food cooked in clay pots is much lower in fat than food prepared in any other method.”
As per Ayurveda expert, “In modern times, I wouldn’t suggest anyone use clay pots majorly because they are glazed with substances that contain lead, mercury and many others that can be hazardous for health. If you manage to get an unglazed and pure earthen pot, you can start cooking in them after soaking them in water for some time.
Ancient India made use of earthenware for storing water and for cooking food. With changing times and technology, the use of earthen cookware has diminished. Glancing over the benefits of earthen cookware will help us know why our ancestors were so healthy and wise.
- Non-Toxic Material
Clay contains about 40% of natural water and minerals like Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorus, and Calcium. Hence earthenware which is made up of clay is non-toxic and rich.
- Porous Nature of Clay
As clay is porous in nature, it enhances the cooking process. The heat and moisture are allowed to circulate throughout the food. Hence the overall cooking process is slowed down. Though the food is cooked slowly, it avoids burning the dishes. This means that you have to be a little more patient while your food is being cooked in earthen cookware.
- Authentic Flavourful Food
Though food will be served late to you, the dishes will be rich in flavor. This is because all the aroma and moisture stay in the food, thus enhancing the flavor of the dish. Meat cooked in earthenware is tender, juicy, and rich in taste along with an earthy flavor.
- Health Benefits of Cooking in Earthenware
Cooking in earthen cookware ensures inferior usage of oil for cooking. Thus it reduces the fat contents in your meal and the minerals included in clay improve the nutrition of the food.
Going through the above benefits of earthen cookware we can conclude that they can be highly preferred over a normal utensil. Integrating the benefits of old traditions with the need of modern times, the best earthen cookware mentioned are available at Too-Yogic at extremely pocket-friendly rates.
- Neutralizes the acidic value
One of the health benefits of clay pots for cooking is they are of alkaline nature which leads to neutralizing the acidic value of food, Hence preventing stomach irritation or digestion-related problems.
Benefits of Using Clay Pots for Cooking
Cooking in a clay pot not only has a variety of health benefits but also makes for an easier cooking process and in the end, a more flavorful and nutritious dish. Due to its numerous health benefits, Ayurveda suggests cooking in a clay pot.
Dr. Rita Behl – Ayurvedic Specialist
- Keeps Bacteria away
During an experiment conducted in a government laboratory, it is revealed that food (lentil) cooked in a clay pot survived a 36-hour non-air-conditioned train journey on a hot day without spoiling its nutritional value. Clay is hostile to the growth of certain kinds of bacterias making its utensils a barrier to bacterias preventing them from spoiling your food.
- Uses less oil
Clay holds the property of natural absorbent as it absorbs the oil. After 2 – 3 uses of your clayware, Clay pots will naturally retain all its oils and moisture of food, therefore you wouldn’t require extra oil and fat to maintain the moisture in your food, promising your food to be more healthy.
- Adds up minerals to food
Clayware owns more than 16 natural minerals which are beneficial for health and have been found deficient in a major part of the current population. These nutrients include calcium, phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron, Copper, and Manganese presented in the right quantities.
Therefore, Preparing food in clay pots will weigh up its mineral content, making your food healthiest. It also helps in the prevention of various diseases like Bronchitis, Asthma, and Cancer.
- Retains nutritional value
This is one of the major benefits of clay pots for cooking. It is scientifically proven that due to the pores present in Clay pots which regulate the heat and moisture throughout the cooking process, the nutritional value of the food remains at 100%. Whereas, in other utensils like Alumminuimware, the nutritional value remains by 7- 13% only.
- Cooking in Clay Pots helps your Heart
The slower cooking process helps to retain the natural moisture and natural oils present in the food, as a result, you require comparatively less use of oil for cooking. When you use fewer oils, it is naturally better for your heart.