Traditional Mexican Cooking Pots and Utensils | Lifestyle

Traditional Mexican Cooking Pots and Utensils

by KCKudra

If you have enjoyed a Mexican meal with a Mexican family or at a good quality restaurant, there is a strong chance that traditional Mexican cooking pots and pan were used to make the meal. Mexicans use deep-frying, slow roasting and baking amongst other cooking methods and they have unique pots and pans for these. A lot of Mexican food is made with fresh produce such as vegetables, spices and herbs and you will find a mortar and pestle in any Mexican home, as well as a selection of sharp vegetable knives.

Authentic Mexican Cooking Pots

Barros or ollas are large, deep cooking pots made from clay. They are ideal to simmer stew, beans, or soup. Olla means pot and Barro means mud or clay. Clay is good for avoiding burnt spots in the food because it distributes heat evenly. It is also safe to place over a direct flame for hours.

You do need to warm clay before using it else; it might crack if you suddenly expose it to a high heat. If you are baking, you can let the pot warm up as the oven does. Your Mexican food will have a subtle earthy taste if you cook it in a clay pot.

A Comal is a big, round griddle, which can be made of cast iron, aluminum, or clay. Modern Comals are usually coated with a non-stick finish. Comals are used to roast chilies and warm tortillas.

A cazuela is a big clay dish for simmering sauces like mole. A cazuela is about six inches deep and round like a bowl. These Mexican pottery dishes usually have handles so you can place it over an open fire without burning yourself and the outside might be brightly painted. The inside of a cazuela is glazed.

A tortillero is a Mexican tortilla press with two wooden discs or round plates. You put a ball of masa between the plates and press down to make a tortilla. These machines used to be wooden but are normally cast iron now. You can get cheap aluminum ones too but these break easily.

Useful Mexican Utensils

A metate y mano is found in most Mexican kitchens and this is a platter sized, concave dish made from stone. It sits on three short legs on the table or three long legs so you can pull a chair up to it. There is a large, round stone, which you roll on the surface to grind or mix your ingredients.

A molcajete y tejolote is a Mexican mortar and pestle. This little wood, stone or clay bowl has a matching cylindrical tube with rounded ends, which is used to pulverize your ingredients when you roll it around in a circular motion.

The Mexicans love hot chocolate and they use a wooden whisk called a molinillo to make the top frothy. The molinillo is spun between the hands and some are plain but others are highly decorated. The molinillo is a small yet fascinating part of Mexican food culture. You can make Mexican food without having the equipment but using it can be fun and it looks good displayed in the kitchen.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Enchiladas are known all over the world, like a lot of other Mexican foods, perhaps because they are a unique food and nothing else will do when you have an enchilada craving! Enchiladas are easy to make yourself and they make a really tasty and filling dinner for the family.