Name/Title
Clay OvensDescription
The Early Days: Open Fires and Clay Ovens
In the early days of cooking, open fires were the primary means of preparing food. People would skewer meat and hold it over the fire, or place it directly on the flames. While this method worked, it was not very efficient or practical. As societies began to settle in one place, the need for a more reliable and controlled cooking method arose.
Enter the clay oven. Dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, clay ovens were a significant breakthrough in cooking technology. These ovens were made from clay and shaped like a dome or a beehive. Food would be placed inside, and the oven would be heated by burning wood or charcoal. The heat would be trapped inside the clay structure, allowing for even and consistent cooking.
The primitive clay oven, or earthen oven / cob oven, has been used since ancient times by diverse cultures and societies, primarily for, but not exclusive to, baking before the invention of cast-iron stoves, and gas and electric ovens. The general build and shape of clay ovens were, mostly, common to all peoples, with only slight variations in size and in materials used to construct the oven. In primitive courtyards and farmhouses, earthen ovens were built on the ground.