Güveç ( IPA: gy'vetʃ ) is a family of

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a c ...

pots used in

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, Persian, Turkish, and Levantine cuisine; various casserole or stew dishes cooked in them are called

ghivetch Ghivetch ( bg, гювеч, , ro, ghiveci, , fa, دیزی٫ tr, güveç, bs, đuveč, , mk, ѓувеч, , sr, ђувеч, ) is a traditional Balkan autumn vegetable stew most closely associated with Romania, where it is a national dish, and Bulg ...

. The pot is wide and medium-tall, can be glazed or unglazed, and the dish in it is cooked with little or no additional liquid.

Construction

Clay is combined with water and sand and some combination of straw, hay, sawdust or wood ash and kneaded to remove any air bubbles. The pot is

thrown Throwing is an action which consists in accelerating a projectile and then releasing it so that it follows a ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of impacting a remote target. This action is best characterized for animals with prehensile ...

or handshaped, allowed to partially dry, and the surfaces smoothed to make them non-porous. After the pot dries completely it is glazed and

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

-fired. The people of Sorkun have "for centuries" specialized in the production of the pot out of locally dug clay.

Dishes

Dishes traditionally made in such pots are known throughout the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

as a traditional autumn vegetable stew, but are most closely associated with

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

and

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

, where it is called

. The name ''đuveč'', an earthenware

casserole A casserole (French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes c ...

in which the Turkish dish đuveč is traditionally prepared, comes from the Turkish ''güveç'' "earthenware pot"; dishes include '' türlü güveç'' and ''

karides güveç ''Karides güveç'' is a shrimp dish in Turkish cuisine. It also contains tomato, tomato paste, garlic, onion, chili pepper and optionally mushroom. It is usually cooked and served in croks or relatively smaller sized ''güveç''s, by adding mel ...

.'' Güveç dishes can be made in any type of oven-proof pan, but according to

Paula Wolfert Paula Wolfert (b. 1938) is an American author of nine books on cooking and the winner of numerous cookbook awards including what is arguably the top honor given in the food world: The James Beard Foundation Medal For Lifetime Achievement. A specia ...

clay or earthenware pots are preferred for the "earthy taste and aroma" they impart.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guvec Balkan cuisine Bulgarian cuisine Montenegrin cuisine Pottery shapes Sephardi Jewish cuisine Serving vessels Romanian cuisine

Construction

Dishes

See also

References