by Mexico Desconocido
Mexican gastronomy is not only a list of ingredients, it is also the way in which food is prepared and even the utensils that are used. All of this results in a unique identity full of aromas, colors and flavors. Without a doubt, one of these elements that cannot be missing from the Mexican culinary imagination are the clay pots, generally used to make the delicious mole (although also many other stews) and in which we imagine traditional cooks stirring for hours with their also traditional wooden spoon.
In Mexico, clay pots have a long history. Pottery made with clay or mud dates back to pre-Hispanic times. However, like almost everything in this country, it also received the artistic wealth of other latitudes, and currently the most popular of these pots are covered with enamel and decorations of New Spanish origin.
How are clay pots made?
In almost all of the country it is common to find clay pots, although they are generally offered in public markets, street markets or in craft shops. They are not mass produced, so their value is truly invaluable, since no piece is the same as another.
The production of clay pots begins with the selection of clay from the mine, which will have to be sifted, kneaded and purged of air bubbles. Later, each pot is made, with its unique shape accompanied by earmuffs; they are also painted with the preferred decoration. The sizes are very variable, since examples can be made for sauce boats or real saucepans that require more than one person to be able to be transported.
The next step is the firing in an oven, where a large number of pieces will be placed so that, after having been dried in the open air, their consistency and color change. The firing of the pieces lasts about five hours. At that same time, the minerals that will become varnish are added.
Where to buy them?
Nowadays, the unique and sturdy clay pots are used less and less. However, their beauty and cultural importance in Mexican gastronomy is undeniable. Despite this, there are privileged places that still produce them with great regularity, such as the municipality of Tlaquepaque in Jalisco, among the Purépecha villages of Michoacán or in different regions of Puebla. Likewise, it is very easy to acquire them in artisan markets such as La Ciudadela or San Ángel in Mexico City.
