A is a traditional Japanese
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
- or
charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
-fueled
cook stove.
Etymology and history
The kamado was invented in China, spread to Korea, and eventually made its way to Japan.
[Farris]
pp.83-87.
/ref> The name kamado is the Japanese word for "stove" or "cooking range". It means a "place for the cauldron". A movable kamado called "mushikamado" came to the attention of Americans after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It is now found in the US as a Kamado-style cooker or barbecue grill
A barbecue grill or barbeque grill (known as a barbecue or barbie in Australia and New Zealand) is a device that cooks food by applying heat from below. There are several varieties of grills, with most falling into one of three categories: natura ...
. The mushikamado is a round clay pot with a removable domed clay lid and is typically found in Southern Japan.
Since Japanese ''kamado'' were introduced from Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, the word ''kamado'' itself is rooted in the Korean word ''gama'' (), which means a ''buttumak
An ''agungi'' ( ko, 아궁이) is a firebox found in traditional Korean kitchens which is used to burn firewood or other fuel for cooking. It is also a part of the traditional floor heating system, or ondol. The flat cooktop counter or hearth ...
'' (hearth). Some kamados have dampers and draft doors for better heat control.
The kanji character for kamado is . The kanji character may be the best name to use when searching for information about traditional unmovable kamados. Elsewhere, the word kamado has become a generic term for ceramic or unfired-clay cookstoves.
Mushikamado
Construction
Mushikamado are made from a variety of materials including high fire ceramics, refractory materials, double wall insulated steel, traditional terra cotta, or a mix of Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th c ...
and crushed lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
.
Outer surfaces vary from a high gloss ceramic glaze, paint, a textured stucco-like surface or ceramic tiles. Modern ceramic and refractory materials decrease cracking – a common fault in the original design, and still a factor in Portland cement designs. In addition to the outer ceramic shell, a ceramic or stainless steel bowl inside the unit holds charcoal. One or more grids are suspended over the fire to provide the cooking surface(s) for food. A draft opening in the lower side of the unit provides air to the fuel, as well as a controllable vent in the top of the dome lid for air to exit the cooker. Temperature is controlled by adjusting these two vents, which in most Kamado-style cookers can be monitored through a hole in the lid. Digital temperature control devices can be installed using a small blower to regulate airflow. High-end kamados have layers of insulation that create low-airflow cooking conditions and are self-opening.
Fuel
Mushikamado grills are generally fueled by charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
but may burn dry twigs, straw or wood. However, attempts have been made to fire them with gas, electricity, or pellets. One of the claims for ceramic construction is it does not affect flavor (no metallic taste) and, for the same reasoning, lump wood charcoal produces little ash and is preferred. Charcoal briquettes contain many additives that can contaminate the flavor.
Uses
Mushikamado is designed to steam rice and it is used by Japanese families for ceremonial occasions. It is versatile and can be used for grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...
and smoking. Flat-bread, such as pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...
, can be cooked on a flat ceramic or stone tray (pizza stone). This is by virtue of the heat retention properties of the ceramic shell with temperatures up to 750 °F (400 °C). Precise control of airflow (and thus temperature) afforded by the vent system means Kamado-style cookers are much like wood-fired ovens and can be used to roast and bake. Kamados may have a rotisserie cradle for crisping the skin of birds and uniform browning.
See also
* Japanese kitchen
The Japanese kitchen ( ja, , translit=Daidokoro, lit=kitchen) is the place where food is prepared in a Japanese house. Until the Meiji era, a kitchen was also called ''kamado'' (; lit. stove) and there are many sayings in the Japanese language t ...
* Hibachi
The is a traditional Japanese heating device. It is a brazier which is either round, cylindrical, or box-shaped, open-topped container, made from or lined with a heatproof material and designed to hold burning charcoal. It is believed date ...
* Kama (Japanese tea ceremony)
* Wok stove
* Agungi
An ''agungi'' ( ko, 아궁이) is a firebox found in traditional Korean kitchens which is used to burn firewood or other fuel for cooking. It is also a part of the traditional floor heating system, or ondol. The flat cooktop counter or hearth inst ...
/Buttumak
An ''agungi'' ( ko, 아궁이) is a firebox found in traditional Korean kitchens which is used to burn firewood or other fuel for cooking. It is also a part of the traditional floor heating system, or ondol. The flat cooktop counter or hearth ...
* Hearth
A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...
* Brazier
A brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating or cultural rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers h ...
* Wash copper
A wash copper, copper boiler or simply copper is a wash house boiler, generally made of galvanised iron, though the best sorts are made of copper. In the inter-war years they came in two types. The first is built into a brickwork furnace and was fo ...
* Kitchen stove
A kitchen stove, often called simply a stove or a cooker, is a kitchen appliance designed for the purpose of cooking food. Kitchen stoves rely on the application of direct heat for the cooking process and may also contain an oven, used for b ...
* Wood-burning stove
A wood-burning stove (or wood burner or log burner in the UK) is a heating or cooking appliance capable of burning wood fuel and wood-derived biomass fuel, such as sawdust bricks. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually cast i ...
* Russian stove
The Russian stove (russian: русская печь) is a type of masonry stove that first appeared in the 15th century. It is used both for cooking and domestic heating in traditional Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian households. The Russian sto ...
* Firebox
Firebox may refer to:
*Firebox (steam engine), the area where the fuel is burned in a steam engine
*Firebox (architecture), the part of a fireplace where fuel is combusted
*Firebox Records
Firebox Records was a Finnish record label based in S ...
* Crucible
A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. While crucibles were historically usually made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands te ...
References
{{Japanese architectural elements
Kitchen
Cooking appliances
Japanese food preparation utensils
Fireplaces