Old is Gold

With a wealth of ancient knowledge in hand, my next step was to source cooking utensils made using traditional methods—techniques that have slowly been disappearing over time. I discovered some fascinating benefits of these traditional materials, which I’m excited to share.

Earthen Pots:
Cooking in earthen pots is a slow process that retains the food’s natural oils and moisture, requiring minimal additional oil. These pots are rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur—all essential for human health. Remarkably, they preserve 100% of the food’s nutrient value.

Soapstone:
Known for its high calcium content, soapstone kills harmful germs, cooks food faster (by about 15% less time), and retains 97% of the food's nutritional value.

Iron:
Iron utensils provide an even cooking temperature due to their heaviness, holding heat longer than other vessels. With time, the cooking surface of iron vessels becomes smoother and more seasoned, naturally infusing food with iron, which is essential for our bodies.

Brass:
Cooking in brass utensils offers numerous health benefits. Brass releases melanin, which is beneficial for healthy hair and skin, and protects against UV radiation. The zinc released during cooking in brass helps boost hemoglobin count and purifies the blood. Additionally, food cooked in brass retains most of its nutrients and releases natural oils that enhance flavor and prevent abdominal infections. Zinc from brass also helps enhance memory.

With this information, I began searching for the right pots—clay, brass, iron (Kalay Loh), and soapstone vessels. However, finding authentic pots required careful consideration, especially regarding the alloy content. I turned to ancient texts like "Rasaratnakarah" and "Rasaratnaprakasha" for guidance.

For example, a brass vessel should be made of Ritika brass, containing 99.9% pure copper and zinc, with a 2:1 ratio. Iron pots should be made of Kalay Loh, and clay and soapstone pots must be tested to ensure they don’t contain harmful substances like lead, nickel, or palladium.

At first, I encountered some challenges, such as receiving pots with incorrect proportions or harmful additives. However, after testing the pots in a laboratory and sharing the reports with the manufacturers, they refunded our money and took back the pots without argument. After much effort, I finally sourced the pots I needed.

As described in the ancient texts, all pots—except for iron (Kalay Loh)—must be seasoned (purified) before use. We followed these instructions to prepare the pots for cooking.

With the pots ready, the next step was to find a traditional stone grinder. It’s crucial to use a grinder made from natural stone, as modern grinders are often made from a mixture of materials like magnesium chloride and magnesium oxide powder, which can be harmful if ingested. We traveled to various villages where we had relatives and friends, searching for old stone grinders that had been passed down through generations but were no longer in use. We managed to acquire several of these authentic stone grinders by paying a fair price.

With the pots and stone grinders in place, our next task was to experiment with cooking on an Indian traditional stove (Chula). Cooking on a Chula allows food to be roasted on a low flame, preserving its nutritional value.

In the next section, I’ll share our experiments with the Indian traditional stove (Chula).

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