Earthenware, or Mitti ke Bartan, is not just cookware – it is humanity’s oldest technology, our spiritual reminder, and now, science’s rediscovered health choice.
1. History – A Centuries-Old Tradition
The story of clay vessels is the story of civilization itself. Long before metal, humans learned that earth + water + fire = a vessel that can store, cook and preserve.
Archaeology traces earthenware back more than 10,000 years to the Neolithic period. In our own region, the Indus Valley Civilization – Mehrgarh, Harappa, and Mohenjo-daro, not far from Punjab – built entire cities around pottery. The skilled Kumhar wheel was the engine of village life.
For thousands of years in Pasrur, Sialkot, Gujranwala and across South Asia, every home had the same set: While Surahi and Matki were used extensively for storing water, handi was the choice for cooking utensil. It was sustainable, local, and biodegradable. When a pot broke, it returned to the earth it came from. This unbroken tradition only declined in the last 70 years with the mass arrival of aluminum and plastic.
2. Perspectives from the Quran, Hadith, and the Sayings of Sufis and Elders
Islam gives clay a uniquely honored place.
In the Quran: Allah repeatedly reminds us of our origin to teach humility.
“[So mention] when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I am going to create a human being from clay.'”
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.'”
And in Surah Ar-Rahman: “Khalaqal insaana min salsaalim kal-fakhkhaar” – “He created man from clay like [that of] pottery” (55:14). Fakhkhar is exactly the word for earthenware. You are made of the same material as the pot you drink from.
In Hadith and Sunnah: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) deliberately chose simplicity over luxury. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet forbade eating and drinking from gold and silver vessels. The Companions instead used what was simple and natural — clay vessels and leather water-skins.
His household used earthen bowls, clay water pitchers, and wooden plates. The message was clear: clay breeds humility; gold breeds pride. There are also narrations about clay bowls bearing hadith inscriptions being among the earliest preserved Islamic artifacts, showing how central earthenware was to daily worship and life.
Sayings of Sufis and Elders:
Sufis saw the pot as a spiritual teacher.
- Hazrat Rumi (RA) said: “You are clay, and one day you will return to clay. Be humble, like the earth that bears all.”
- Hazrat Bulleh Shah, the Punjabi Sufi of Kasur, often used the potter and clay as a metaphor for the Creator and creation – Mitti da bawa – the toy made of clay.
- Village elders in Punjab still say: “Mitti di khushboo wich shifa ae” – There is healing in the fragrance of earth. Eating from the same earth you came from keeps the heart soft and the ego low. Langars and Dargahs traditionally served food and water in Kulhads (small clay cups) to ensure everyone, rich or poor, drank from the same humble vessel.
3. Hygiene and Protection Against Diseases
Earthenware is hygienic not because it kills everything with chemicals, but because it works with nature:
1. Natural Alkaline Balance: Clay is alkaline in nature. It interacts with the acidity in the food, thereby neutralising the pH balance. This makes acidic foods like tomatoes, yogurt curry, and lentils easier to digest and less likely to cause acidity.
2. Natural Cooling and Preservation: The porous walls of a matka allow slow evaporation, which naturally cools water by 3-5 degrees without electricity. This cooling inhibits the rapid growth of bacteria, unlike plastic bottles where warm water becomes a breeding ground.
3. Zero Chemical Leaching: Unlike aluminum, non-stick, and plastic, well-fired unglazed clay releases nothing harmful. It does not leach lead, PFOA, PTFE, or microplastics into hot food.
4. Less Oil, Less Spoilage: Because clay retains moisture and steam, you need far less oil and the food stays fresh longer naturally.
4. Comparison with Common Metal Cookware
| Cookware | How it Cooks | Health Concern | Taste & Nutrition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay / Earthenware | Slow, even, far-infrared heat. Breathable. | None. Adds trace minerals. Alkaline. | Retains moisture, deep earthy flavor, preserves nutrients |
| Aluminum (Common in Pakistan) | Fast, uneven. Highly reactive. | Reacts with acidic foods, leaches aluminum. Linked to concerns for kidneys and bones. | Can give metallic taste to sour curries |
| Non-Stick (Teflon) | Fast, but coating degrades above 260°C | When scratched/overheated, releases PFOA / PTFE fumes. Coating chips ingestible. | Food can taste flat, does not breathe |
| Stainless Steel | Fast, non-reactive, but burns easily | Safer than aluminum, but does not add minerals and can diminish nutrients as well as release harmful chemicals that affect kidney and liver functions if low-quality | Good for frying, but not for slow-cooked flavor |
| Cast Iron | Heavy, excellent heat retention | Good for iron intake, but very heavy, needs seasoning, acidic foods strip it | Very good, but different purpose than clay |
5. Insights from Modern Science and Experiments
Modern labs are now proving what our grandmothers knew.
Nutrient Retention: An experiment conducted in a lab in India found that lentils cooked in an unglazed earthen-pot retained 100% of their micronutrients, while those cooked in a steel pot retained only 30%. The gentle slow heating properties of a clay pot also play a big-role in preserving the nutrition inherent in any food.
Another striking test found lentil cooked in a clay pot survived a 36-hour non air-conditioned train journey on a hot day, without spoiling and with 100% of the micronutrients intact, showing natural preservation.
Mineral Enrichment: Studies confirm earthen pots enrich food with essential elements like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron present in the soil, aiding in bone health. The National Institute of Nutrition in India has noted that cooking in utensils made with clay is the safest.
How it works: Science explains two mechanisms:
- Far-Infrared Radiation: Clay emits far-infrared heat which penetrates food gently, cooking it from inside out, denaturing proteins slowly so meat stays tender.
- Porous Evaporation: The micro-pores circulate steam, acting like a natural pressure cooker without high pressure, so you cook with less water and keep water-soluble vitamins.
6. Types of Vessels and Their Uses
In Punjab, a traditional potter’s shop still carries:
- Matka / Gharha: Large water storage pot, 10-15 liters. Cools water naturally.
- Surahi: Narrow-necked, elegant water pitcher. Pouring is more hygienic.
- Handi / Degchi: Deep cooking pot with narrow mouth for Dum cooking – biryani, dal, nihari, curries.
- Kulhad / Piyala / Kullad: Small, disposable tea cup. Once used everywhere at chai dhabas.
- Tawa: Flat clay griddle for roti – gives unique smoky flavor.
- Tandoor: Giant, fixed clay oven for naan and tandoori chicken.
- Chatti / Doli: Wide-mouth pot for setting curd (yogurt) – sets thicker, more probiotic curd than steel.
- Kondi / Naad: Feeding bowl for animals, grinding spices.
Final Benefits at a Glance
- Health: Alkaline, adds natural minerals, needs less oil, no chemical leaching.
- Taste: Earthy, slow-cooked, richer aroma because moisture and oils are not burnt off.
- Economic & Ecological: Cheap, locally made by Kumhars, 100% biodegradable, keeps a 10,000-year-old craft alive.
- Spiritual: Connects you to your origin. Every time you drink from a matka, you remember Surah Ar-Rahman – you are clay, holding water in clay, returning to clay.
Tip for starting: Buy unglazed, without shiny chemical glaze inside. Soak new pot in water for 24 hours, then coat with mustard oil and heat on low. This seasons it. Never use soap aggressively; clean with warm water and a brush.
Returning to mitti is not backward – it is a step forward to health, humility, and heritage.