Mystery Pot

[cassie]

Anybody cook Mexican food? I have a clay pot or casserole about 9 or ten inches in diameter. It has a lid. It has a tapering upright middle piece (I don't know what to call it) like what is found in an angel cake pan. I found this pot when I cleaned out my late mother's kitchen. She cooked a lot of Mexican food and she traveled to Mexico a few times. I haven't a clue what this is used for. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[biophiliac]

Anybody cook Mexican food? I have a clay pot or casserole about 9 or ten inches in diameter. It has a lid. It has a tapering upright middle piece (I don't know what to call it) like what is found in an angel cake pan. I found this pot when I cleaned out my late mother's kitchen. She cooked a lot of Mexican food and she traveled to Mexico a few times. I haven't a clue what this is used for. Anybody have any ideas?

Pic?

 

[User395221]

It has a tapering upright middle piece (I don't know what to call it) like what is found in an angel cake pan.

Is that on the lid, or in the pot? If it's on the lid, is it like a tagine?

 

[cassie]

Is that on the lid, or in the pot? If it's on the lid, is it like a tagine?

It is in the pot. Comes up from the bottom. Visualize an angel food cake pan with a lid. The upright thingee is about an inch in diameter at the bottom and tapers to about a half inch at the top. There is a small hole at the top which may be a vent or something. I'd send pictures but I don't know where my camera is.

 

[User395221]

Perhaps could be a steamed pudding basin? What shape is it overall? Is the funnel part hollow?

EDIT: otherwise, maybe for steaming stews? http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2010-04/17/content_9742686.htm

 

[cassie]

Perhaps could be a steamed pudding basin? What shape is it overall? Is the funnel part hollow?

EDIT: otherwise, maybe for steaming stews?
I don't think it is for steaming puddings. For one thing, I don't think you could steam a pudding or anything else in it and for another, I don't think Mexicans are real big on steamed puddings. This pot is definitely Mexican. It is red clay, I think it is unglazed, and it has a Mexican design on it. It is round. Think of an angel food pan except that it is not high sided like an angel food cake pan. Other than that pipe thing in the middle it looks like a casserole dish.

 

[User395221]

Well, the chinese pot is used at high altitudes. Maybe it came from high land in other South American countries, and came to Mexico from the Andes or somewhere. If it behaves like a pressure cooker, it'd certainly speed up cooking dried bean dishes.

 

[cassie]

For any sort of pressure cooking you would need a lid that could be clamped down. This lid just fits on the top like on a casserole dish. My mother cooked a lot of Mexican dishes. I know she used this pot. I just don't know for what, and since she is gone, I can't ask her.

 

[User395221]

For any sort of pressure cooking you would need a lid that could be clamped down.

Did you read the link for the Yunnan pot?

EDIT: This article said the funnel steaming pots were in use in California in the 1970s where this French guy came across them.

 

[cassie]

That's it!! That's it!! It's a yunnan pot. Now that I know what it is I'll see if I can find some recipes for it. I may try the recipe given on the site but i will have to do a lot of modification because some of the ingredients listed are not easy to find here. Thanks again. I never would have guessed. Never!!