Published Paper Details:

Clay (earthenware/terracotta) cookware has been used across cultures for centuries for cooking, storing water, fermenting foods and serving traditional dishes. Its porous aluminosilicate matrix, relatively low thermal conductivity, moisture-retaining behavior and gradual heat transfer give it distinctive culinary properties. This review examines the material composition, physicochemical and thermal characteristics, nutrient and mineral transfer, food-safety considerations, potential health implications, cultural significance, environmental advantages and socioeconomic relevance of clay cookware. Available evidence suggests that clay vessels can provide slow and relatively uniform cooking, moisture retention and desirable sensory characteristics. However, mineral migration depends strongly on clay composition, firing conditions, food acidity, temperature and repeated use. Poorly manufactured or glazed pottery may also present a risk of contaminant migration, particularly heavy metals. Claims concerning prevention or treatment of chronic diseases should therefore be interpreted cautiously because robust clinical evidence remains limited. Clay cookware offers a potentially sustainable alternative to some modern cookware, but standardization of raw materials, firing, glazing, contaminant testing and performance is needed before broad health claims can be made. Future research should focus on controlled comparative studies of nutrient retention, contaminant migration, sensory quality, energy use and long-term consumer safety.