The
palayók is typically made of
earthenware, a
porous ceramic material. This allows steam from cooking to
evaporate out of the pores in the
earthenware. Juices from the cooking food would not begin to burn until all the water has evaporated, after which the food is thoroughly cooked. Since
ceramic does not transfer heat as much as metal, cooking in a
palayók entails a longer cooking time and higher
temperature than would normally be used with metal cookware. The
palayók is not to be cleaned using household
detergents, as the porous material would easily absorb chemicals that would later impart unwanted flavors to the food. It is instead cleaned by soaking in warm water, and when the
detritus has sufficiently softened, scrubbed with salt. the contraption consists of a
palayok fitted with a piece of thin sheet metal cut to fit the bottom of the pot, and a piece of
aluminum foil placed below the lid. These metal pieces are designed to reflect heat back into the pot. The pot is then heated by using a native
pugón or
kalán, a small wood-fired
stove similar to a
Japanese shichirin. ==See also==