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Hands up those of you who smell a wood fire and think of food!
It reminds you of that delicious wood smoke smell of the family Sunday barbecue or a campfire dinner. Somehow food tastes so much more memorable when it’s cooked on a wood fire.
There also some traditional cultural foods that require wood for cooking. A Neapolitan pizza from a domed wood oven is a classic example. Any dyed in the wool Italian will tell you the only way to eat pizza are cooked in a wood oven. Wood or charcoal was also essential for traditional Indian clay Tandoori oven.
Some traditional cultures still use wood ovens as part of their cultural identity. Conventional Andean cooking found in Cuzco, Peru depends on the unique flavor that comes from wood-burning stoves. Again in South America, Argentina uses fire as a part of its foodie heritage. One of its top restaurants, also featuring on the list of best restaurants in the world, is famous for its creative Wood cookstove cooking. Argentina is also renowned for its traditional “asado” barbecue which is a big social event and even a source of national pride.
Wood fire cooking is making a big comeback and using a wood cookstove is guaranteed to put the creative spark back into your cooking. Wood cookstoves are modern and efficient, and there are many advantages to having one in your home.
1. Delicious food
Cooking on a wood stove gives un-matched flavor. Using fire to cook is the oldest way of cooking, but chefs are now vying to elevate this cooking style to new heights. Food tastes better cooked on a wood fire, and the little bit of charring adds incredible rich signature flavor. This rich aroma intertwines with baked and stewed dishes and provides a unique flavoring for any cuisine.
Chefs working with wood stoves affirm that cooking on fire makes you more of a conscious cook. You have to learn how your stove works to use it to maximum advantage. Some areas are ripping hot, and you can char and seal, while others can slow cook to bring out the flavors of the food. You can also use fire to give a kiss of smoke flavor to desserts and even beverages.
A roast left in a sealed pan will simmer all day long, and by the time it’s done, it will be beyond tender and delicious, bathed its natural juices. There is also nothing to equal fresh bread from a wood oven. The loaves, flavored with a touch of wood smoke are light and airy with a good crispy crust and delicious perfume.
2. Heating
Your oven also has the added benefit of heating your home, and the advantages are more than just reduced heating bills. A wood cook stove burns wood, and unlike fossil fuels, this is a renewable resource. Using a sustainable resource, especially if you are buying your wood locally, is great for your heating bill and also for the environment. But there is also something else that is satisfying about getting your heat from a fire. That special touch of having a fire alight in your home has something satisfyingly primal about it.
3. Versatility
A wood cookstove offers you many different possibilities for cooking. There are different heat zones, with a hot spot that is hot enough to fry on, and a cooler area for slow cooking. You can leave dishes cooking on it all day without fear of burning them.
There is also an even more cooling zone that will warm up your food gently. They have large ovens for baking and broiling which can contain large trays for baking multiple dishes. Ovens that have water heating facilities have the added benefit of functioning as humidifiers, as well as providing a source of hot water.
4. Flexibility
A wood cookstove can be positioned anywhere in your home. All you need is a connection to the outside of your home for the vent system. This means you can rearrange your cooking area independently of any electrical wall plugs.
5. Great Décor
Wood cookstoves are not only environmentally friendly and efficient, but they also make an excellent addition to the décor. Some stoves are more beautiful than functional, while others are more functional for your more advanced cooking needs.
Either way, they all look good, or there are many different styles of wood stoves available. You can find the perfect wood cookstove for your home both in style and functionality by deciding what functionalities you need. Decide how and where you are going to use it and what sort of cooking you will do. This will help you chose the best one for you from the full range available and added a touch of charm to your home.
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This is a featured post by site sponsor Smridhi Malhotra.
Photo provided by author