Clay Pot for Cooking, Imported from China

The Thai Clay Pot is used in the oven or on the stove top to cook Thai dishes such as Seafood with Bean Thread Noodle (Ob Woon Sen Talay), Crab with Thai Herbs (Boo Ob Maw Din) and Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp in Clay Pot (Kao Ob Sabarot).

In the past, unglazed covered clay pots were a common cooking utensil in the Thai kitchen This type of old-fashioned earthenware pot was well suited to the charcoal and wood burning stoves used in Thailand. Curries, soups and even rice were cooked over traditional stoves (dtoh in Thai) in these pots. Today, aluminum pots and electric rice steamers are more common in Thailand as they are both durable and inexpensive.

In the modern kitchen, the earthen pot (maw din in Thai, earthenware or Chinese sand pot or hot pot) can be employed for cooking curries, soups, braised dishes and rice in order to impart a subtle aroma and delicious taste. The clay pot is especially popular for many Chinese recipes, including Braised Lion's Head.

Before using the clay pot, so that it does not crack or break, it is very, very important to prepare it. Each time before use, completely submerge the pot in water and soak for one hour. Once the pot is hot be careful to not place it on a cool surface. Also do not place an empty clay pot over a hot fire. With these few precautions a clay pot can become a source of pride in the kitchen. Note that the outside is glazed but the inside of the pot is unglazed.

In addition to good taste, clay pots offer some health benefits. Because clay pot cooking does not require any addition of cooking oils, since the moisture in the soaked clay keeps food from burning, cooking this way is an easy way to reduce calories and fat in your diet.

When cooking in a clay pot allow extra cooking time as the water evaporates in the clay, causing heat loss thereby slowing the cooking process, but retaining the ingredients moisture.

To clean an eathernware pot, do not use soaps as they may be absorbed into the clay, Simply soak the pot to remove any food particles, scrub and drip dry. Store in a dry place and check for mold before cooking. For stubborn food stains, soak in hot water with a tablespoon of baking soda or scrub with salt.

Dimensions: 8" width x 6" height. Made in China.

Also see our Clay Pot with Sterno.