Hot Stones: Here’s what you need to know about this age-old yet simple way of cooking and heating

What do you do when you have food on your table for a long time and it has gone cold? Head over to the oven and re-heat it? But did you know that in Japan, restaurants make it easier for you. If you tell them that the food has gone cold, they will bring over a hot stone to your table and within seconds, the cold food will become piping hot. This is the magic of hot stones which have been used in various ways for decades to cook or heat food. In fact, hot stones are not just used in Japan, but in several countries like Iceland, where geothermal cooking tops the list; Mongolia, where mutton is cooked in a sealed metal pot with hot stones; Hawaii, where hot stones, coming from volcanic parts form a hot bed which acts as an oven; or even Peru where again large feast preparations are done with hot stones.

What are hot stones that have been used to cook and heat food for centuries?

For the unversed the first question is to understand what hot stones are. To answer this one has to go back to the historic and nomadic eras where of course there were no gas stoves or modern amenities. To cook food, raw meat was often placed on top of a bed of hot stones. These hot stones were parts of natural rocks like granite or soapstone, or volcanic rocks like basalt. This helped in cooking the food and keeping it warm. After the discovery of fire, these stones started being used along with fire due to their natural heat-retention properties and non-toxicity.

Due to their natural origins, hot stones are considered very well for cooking and heating as their inherent properties are also transferred to the food which becomes healthier for consumption. Moreover, hot stones are associated with positive energy and are often used for healing and wellness practices around food.

How are the hot stones used for cooking or heating food?

 To use a hot stone, it is first made sure that they are heated up. Depending on the nature of the stone and their thickness, the timings for heating a hot stone may vary. Similarly, the duration of their effectiveness also varies. But on an average it takes around 30-40 minutes to heat on stove, oven or open fire and can keep food warm for almost 20-40 minutes. Hot stones, being aesthetic, are sometimes places directly on the tabletops where food is cooked in front of the visitors for an experiential dinning. On the other hand, even a single piece of stone may be heated up and placed on your food to re-heat it, without even needing you to go to the nearest oven.

Are hot stones safe to be used multiple times?

After using them, hot stones need to be thoroughly cleaned and stored before their next use. This ensures that they stay hygienic and can be used multiple times. Hot Stones should be allowed to cool down and dry off on its own. Try not to use cold water as, the temperature difference may cause it to crack. Once cooled down, use warm water to lightly wash it. Scrub and brush if necessary. Dry the stone and then store it, so that it retains no moisture, which can be the source of fungus attacks.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.