How ancient are some kitchen necessities?

[andiesenji]

Naftal's topic, "What could be better than a history quiz?"  got me to thinking.

 

This item showed up on FaceBook a few days ago and I shared it - because it is interesting to me how the ancients cooked and heated their homes.  Back in high school (early '50s) I wrote a "treatise" on how the Romans developed the hypocaust for my Ancient History class.  Sad that it would take more than 1500 years for forced-air heating to be rediscovered.

 

We think that our "modern" compact kitchens are an entirely new idea (20th century) but some genius in ancient Hellas/Greece developed a compact kitchen range that is truly innovative.

 

On the FB page it was called a "fully equipped kitchenette"    the true term is anthrakia.   I could cook on something like that!

 

The link is here.

 

but to pique your interest, here is the photo.

[Naftal]

Hello- That picture is great, truly amazing. I am thinking that we should continue our discussion on this thread. What do you know about the origin of the ice cream scoop?

[Naftal]

Also, how old is the oldest known mortar and pestle? I would think it goes back thousands of years.

[IowaDee]

That's amazing.  The one item looks like an early version of the comal which I use all the time.  I wonder if it was used for making pita?

[andiesenji]

Hello- That picture is great, truly amazing. I am thinking that we should continue our discussion on this thread. What do you know about the origin of the ice cream scoop?

I don't know much as I never collected ice cream scoops.  I do know the first ones were cone-shaped and that there were any number of oddities that were patented but only a few were manufactured early on.

The Italians used a broad slightly curved spatula or spoon with the end of the bowl squared off and a hole in the center of the bowl so the ice could be pushed out or so a "vacuum" wouldn't form. 

I saw a book about scoopers and dishers many years ago but I'm sure there is more recent info. 

[andiesenji]

Mortars and pestles are very ancient.  The neolithic people used depressions in rocks and boulders to pound various food items into pastes or ?

Here in California there are numerous sites where one can see the holes in rocks where nuts, acorns, roots and such were pounded into useful shape.

 

The Aztecs, Mayans and Incas all had similar tools and certainly they have been around in Southeast Asia since ancient times. 

The nice thing about the ones made of stone is that they are practically indestructible.

 

The Egyptians used them both for food and cosmetics - a couple of examples from the 4th dynasty are in the museum in Cairo.

 

The British museum has an exceptional collection of them.  A friend visited the museum a few years ago and brought back numerous photos. 

Many were bronze from the Romans and were quite sophisticated designs, almost identical to modern "apothecary mortars".   And an earlier example, made of agate was from the Etruscans. 

[IowaDee]

I have an amazing mano and metate from a dig in Baldwin Hills, CA.  A professor from UCLA brought students to the site one summer and collected it and some other artifacts.  My great uncle managed the oil lease where the dig was and they gifted it to him as a thank you.

 

Many years ago, our daughter won a blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair as a 4-H member.  The catagory was for the oldest kitchen tool you own.  She used it to grind corn and made corn muffins.  It still lives on but only as a conversation piece. 

 

The rocks near Big Bear Lake have many grinding holes in them.  I can remember stuffing pine nuts in them as a kid.  Fun times.

[SylviaLovegren]

Andie, the Greek stove reminds me of the Victorian cooking ranges with all their different levels and places to warm, boil, heat, bake, grill, etc.  Form follows function, in action!

[Lindacakes]

That is insanely beautiful.  Talk about clay pot cooking.

 

Thank you for sharing.