Pig-iron Uzbek cauldrons: characteristics, selection, operation and maintenance

An Uzbek-made Kazan cauldron is an excellent cooking utensil that allows your food to have a special taste and juiciness, which is facilitated by the shape and material of production.

Namangan cauldron - the best, truly unique utensils from Uzbekistan for cooking. It appeared more than 100 years ago in the city of Namangan. It was made by hand from pure cast iron, and even then she liked everything with its unique culinary properties.

The fact is that, despite the large size of the pot (from such a cauldron you can feed a large family or many guests), the food is cooked evenly and does not burn anywhere. That is why The Namangan Kazan is still a kind of benchmark and is given preference when buying.

Today, Uzbek iron cauldrons are equipped with metal or lighter aluminum caps. However, even at the time of the appearance of these products, the ancestors of the modern Uzbeks covered the cauldron with wood and boards during cooking. Today Namangan cauldrons are so popular and in demand that the whole production is established, there is more than one factory supplying products to the markets of other countries.

Like any other kitchen utensils, cauldrons have their advantages and disadvantages.

• One of the main positive characteristics of this product is the material from which the cauldron is made: heavy and good cast iron. It is considered a high quality metal and in the field of cooking is rated as a good choice.
• Accordingly, an Uzbek cauldron with the right choice will serve you for more than one year, and, possibly, for more than one decade, since there is absolutely nothing to spoil there.
• Due to one of the main features of its design - dense walls - heat is distributed evenly across the whole cauldron. This allows products to be ready at the same time, no matter where they are in the cauldron. Be it, for example, rice: the grains that are below, above the very fire, and those near the lid and on the walls, will be heated the same.
• In addition to all this, the Uzbek cauldron is presented today in a large range of volumes, which means you can cook in it for a family of three people, and for a whole table of guests!

As for the shortcomings, the very first flows smoothly from dignity. As much as cast iron can be useful in cooking, so is the negative side to its weight. Indeed, a medium-sized cauldron will weigh quite a lot, and therefore weak female hands can cope with this whole affair.

If we talk about the weight of the cauldron, it is worth noting that some models weigh so much that on an ordinary stove it will be difficult to resist. Moreover, they are unlikely to hang on any hook over the fire on the street. Therefore, in some cases, you have to buy special structures that would help the cauldron to stand above the fire more confidently. Most often, a special tripod or center of bricks is made for it.

It’s not worth putting it in cons, but it’s still important to keep in mind that such a cauldron will have to be looked after in a certain way so that it does not lose its qualities.

To make the right choice and get the maximum joy and functionality when buying a cauldron, It is important to take into account some nuances.

1. First of all, pay attention to your stove or any other proposed cooking place. Will it bear the weight of the cauldron, will it fit there in size?
2. Do not be zealous with the size of the dishes, as both the weight and the cost increase, and therefore correctly consider the maximum amount of food that you will cook in it.
3. Take into account the food you will cook in a cauldron most often - the model and thickness of the dishware depend on it. In addition, remember that cauldrons differ in shape, you can choose a wider or narrower model.

Uzbek cauldrons have a huge variation in size. You can use a relatively small vessel, which is enough for a family and a few guests. This is an average cauldron of 12 liters. However, if you are engaged in cooking on a more serious scale, then you are offered options up to 200 liters. You can find a very small option (as an average pan), such a cauldron is designed for only 3 liters.

The bottom of the cauldron is most often a flat surface, however, there are also options where the bottom will be convex. This parameter is important depending on where the product will be used.

There are large copies without the presence of a support structure, then it is worth buying separately. Also exist models with a stove. Yes, right under the cauldron there is a special space that will allow you to safely make a fire.

The very first characteristic difference is the material. Real Namangan cauldrons are made exclusively from high-quality cast iron, and therefore all products made of aluminum and copper should be immediately cut off.

To correctly determine whether it is cast iron, simply raise the cauldron. It must be heavy, while copper and aluminum are light metals. In addition, bumps will always be present on real cast iron, since this metal is not perfectly smooth.

Always remember that real Uzbek cauldron is made by hand. Despite the high demand and streamlined production, such cauldrons are still made according to the old technology. And because the thickness of the walls can vary from instance to instance.

The use of such special dishes provides for many different nuances. First of all, make sure that this rather heavy container is securely mounted and stable, and then light the fire.

Like all culinary utensils from cast iron, the cauldron provides operation with preliminary lubrication of the walls with oil. After the purchase, before you start cooking, the right decision will be to prepare a cast iron product. Heat it on fire, simultaneously lubricating everything to the brim with oil. Under the influence of temperature, it is evenly distributed around the edges and will serve as a kind of non-stick coating and, moreover, will increase the thermal conductivity of the product.

Oil is best used vegetable and should be applied after fully burning all the iron. When the oil is well absorbed, turn off the heat, let the iron cool and rinse it with warm water.

Meals that you are going to cook there, you should choose by the criterion of resistance to long cooking. That is, in a cauldron you can cook excellent soup, porridge or rice, but you should not try to use it as a frying pan, for example. This can disrupt the uniform distribution of heat and is not very well suited for the food itself, if you try to fry it there.

Uzbek namangan cauldron - unpretentious in the care of dishes. It is durable, including for shocks, which is why you can easily transport it in the trunk of a car. However, by itself, cast iron, if used in cooking, the better it reveals itself, the better it is oiled. Accordingly, it is necessary to warm it up and smear it with oil not only for the first time, but also as it is dried or before filling it with ingredients for preparing any dish.

If we talk about washing, then Do not use standard dishwashing detergent. Firstly, the structure of cast iron itself is very heterogeneous, and therefore some substances can simply remain in the pores of the material, after which they can get into a person’s food. Secondly, the principle of use does not require constant degreasing, but vice versa: the more fat on the walls, the better for cooking.

Therefore, the cauldron should be washed with something more natural. For example, it can be laundry soap or anything that is not aggressive: soda, sleeping coffee, etc. You should not scratch the walls, so do not take iron brushes, it is better to use cloth rags or a sponge.

As already mentioned, the cauldron is not a dish that is too heavily contaminated, most often it only needs a one-time rinsing with water. However, if you still need to clean the walls or the bottom, it is better to warm the product by filling it with salt. Salt perfectly absorbs all possible burning that could accumulate over a long time of use. It must be stirred periodically until it becomes uniformly dark.

If the outer part of the bottom, which you place above the fire, is covered with soot, then also do not forget about the care of cleaning. It will be enough just to wash off all the soot with water, in which a rag or sponge will help you.

You can learn more about how to burn a cast-iron cauldron so that it serves for a long time and cooks deliciously.