Iron is the
fourth common metal forming the Earth’s crust, and also an indispensable
element of our daily lives. The discovery and large-scale use of iron is an
important milestone in the history of mankind, promoting us from the Stone Age,
Bronze Age, to the Iron Age, and building the solid foundation of the
civilization and the development of modern industry.
Cast iron
cookware, of course, plays an important role in the evolution of cooking
history and leaves important traces of its great value. Under today's
technology advancements, there are lots of chemical-treated, painted pots and
pans on the market, leaving potential harm to our health. Therefore, it is
interesting for us to learn the history of cast iron cookware--the wild,
original, and classic cookware that once change the entire human race. Through
this understanding, maybe we’ll have a entire difference point of view to face
this world of energy shortage and pollution.
In today's
world, although China is not the place where cast iron cookware flourished, but
if not for their furnace technology breakthrough in 513B.C, there is no way for
European to produce all kinds of cast iron cookware in the 1100A.D. In the
Bronze Age, the furnace can only create lower temperature heat to smelt the bronze
cooking utensils, and it cannot be used for iron smelting. Until the Chinese
invented the furnace that can create a higher temperature, the smelting of cast
iron can finally be achieved. However, although this technology was invented in
500 B.C in China, it has not been used by Europe until about 1100 A.D. Because
of the widespread use of iron and cast iron cookware, it further affected the
development of human civilization and cooking habits. In medieval Europe, cast
iron cookware and utensils have been regarded very mysterious and valuable items,
and even often stand in the will passed to future generations.
In the 14th
century European, cast iron cookware generally has three legs at the bottom, or
a handle on the top. During this age, cooking in the home was done in the
hearth or stove, and the three legs at the bottom were used for keeping cookware
higher for burning charcoal or wood. Similarly, the purpose of the handle was
to lift the cookware up and heat on the hearth. During this period, producing cast
iron cookware was very costly and time consuming, therefore, the price of cast
iron cookware is very expensive in the market. On the other hand, because the
casting technology in this period has not yet very proficient, cast iron cookware
are very heavy with a very thick wall, which is to prevent the breaking and fragmentation
of the cookware.
Three hundred
years later in the 17th century, with the popularization of home stove, the
cast iron cookware now can be directly heated on the home stove, therefore became
popular among public. Because of the increasing demand, more factories have
dedicated to improve the smelting and casting technology to make cast iron
cookware, resulting in lighter, thinner-wall cast iron cookware. Also, due to
the advancement in the technology, mass production of cast iron cookware became
possible, thus making cast iron cookware a common, popular cookware. Even the
famous economist Adam Smith have said in his famous work “The Wealth of Nations”
that the real wealth of a country is not from how much gold it has, but rather
how many pots and pans it manufacture.
To the 18th
century, with the industrial revolution, the standard of living has been
dramatically enhanced, thus also boosting the popularization of cast iron
cookware. During this age, the enameled cast iron cookware has been developed
and soon gained its ground for its beauty around public. However, in the 19th
century, with the development of stainless steel, aluminum, and Teflon
non-stick cookware, cast iron cookware soon lost its popularity to these new
competitors because they have an advantage that it will never own—the light
weight. Therefore, the penetration rate of cast iron cookware in the market has
drastically reduced and lost its glory during the Industrial Revolution age.
