A Short History Of The Dutch Oven
A short history of the Dutch oven, a particularly famous cooking device made of cast iron and used through much of the history of the United States, to cite just one country where it’s famous, reveals quite a few interesting tales and facts. Specifically, this kind of oven is a thick-walled cook pot that comes with a lid that fits tightly over the top of the pot.
While many people in the US know that a particular version of the oven has been in use here for quite some time, many don’t actually know that it’s been employed as a means of cooking food for literally hundreds of years. In fact, the European versions of the oven probably made their first appearance some time in the 1600s, in the Netherlands, naturally enough.
Soon thereafter, the ever-resourceful Dutch began exporting the newfangled cooking vessel to other nearby countries, including Britain. By 1708, the English had developed a specific process for creating these ovens and had patented a design. They were particularly interested in making them widely available to not only British households but also to households over in their American colonies.
The oven, as it developed over time in America, gradually changed its shape somewhat, as a matter of fact. Owing to the fact that many American households made use of large camp or cook fires, the pot itself became shallower while legs were added to the bottom so that it could be placed directly over a bed of coals.
The oven became popular in America for a number of different reasons, including that it was an extremely durable and sturdy cooking implement. As well, it was highly versatile, and a smart housewife could make great use of it, including by using it for boiling, stewing of food, frying, roasting and even baking, when dire need of this kind of oven presented itself.
The handy little oven also soon became considered an heirloom in many American families, with wills being drawn up to lay out just who in the family would inherit the oven when its owner passed away. As well, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the famous explorers of the American West and Pacific Northwest, specifically demanded a number of them be taken along on their expeditions.
These days, a well-made Dutch oven is still prized highly for its versatility and durability. Many a home in the American southwest and west counts itself lucky to have such an oven within its household, to tell the truth. They come in a number of different sizes, shapes and styles nowadays and they can be relatively inexpensive or very expensive, depending on the quality of the oven and its construction.
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