Dr Rita Pemberton

The practice of cooking in a dirt oven, which is based on an understanding of the heat-retaining properties of clay, is centuries old and has been widely used in communities around the globe. While these ovens maintained a characteristic shape, they varied in size, and the materials that were used in their construction.

In Tobago, since the post-emancipation period, the dirt oven assumed special significance. Firstly, it provided the cheapest and most efficient means of food preparation; secondly, the material for its construction was readily available, at no cost, in and around the communities; and thirdly, there were people who developed and willingly shared their oven-construction skills.

These were important considerations to the freed African population, whose earnings were very low and who had to find ways to combat the rising cost of living by reducing the costs of essential items when possible. Hence dirt ovens were to be found in every village.

The base of the oven was built with stones and old bricks raised to a height of about four feet, and the oven floor, which must have a smooth, level finish, is lined with bricks.

Framing the oven is an important step in construction. The sides and the back are shaped with bricks, but bits of iron, pipes and other discarded metal are used to produce the curved front. The frame is then plastered with a mixture of marl, a reddish-brown dirt; dried grass called mulatto platte; cow dung, which helps to bind the materials; and water. Traditionally these were put into a shallow pit dug near the site of the oven, and danced by a skilled individual or individuals until the correct consistency was attained. Then the clay mixture was plastered on to the previously framed and shaped oven, which was given thick walls to facilitate heat retention.

The oven was built with two apertures. An opening in the front was made to accommodate the door, which was not attached to the oven. Through the second opening, on the leeward side, the ash from the burnt fuel is swept into an ash pit in the ground.

The oven is complete with its equipment: one or two spatulas or paddles with shallow scoops and handles of varying lengths, which are used to put food in and remove it from the oven. The final piece of equipment is either a broom of either coconut or black sage bush for sweeping the cinders from the oven floor. The oven also needed a shed with a galvanized roof to protect it from the vagaries of the weather.

The newly constructed oven was put through two firings by filling it with dried wood, setting it alight and leaving it to burn for four-five hours. This helped to harden the clay and temper the oven so that it would retain heat better.

When the oven is ready for use it must be filled with wood; dried coconut shells, the kernels of which possesses a higher calorific content than coal; and cow dung; lighted and left to burn until the material has been reduced to ashes, usually about four hours.

In the meantime, the items to be baked will be prepared.