The Palayok is a Filipino clay pot that’s made for cooking traditional Filipino stews and soups. Known for their durability and even distribution of heat, palayoks are the perfect vessel for simmering dishes low and slow.
Every few days or so, I try to visit my local Asian supermarket to see what new items and fresh produce they have coming in. Around last week they had piles of palayok being sold for the first time.
The last I’ve seen them was when I was three years old and living in the Philippines! The kids would use the palayok as a kind of piñata to hold candies and chocolate. Then we’d take turns blind-folding ourselves to see if we can crack the pot to drop all the goodies inside.
Anyways, I just knew I had to get one. I posted it on my Instagram story that same afternoon, asking everyone what the first meal I should cook with it should be (it was tied between Kare Kare, Paksiw, and Adobo).
I got HUNDREDS of responses to that in my DM’s. I was honestly so amazed at how interested you all were for wanting to see me cook in a palayok for the first time.
Here’s a somewhat in-depth guide which compiles all the research I’ve done on how to properly use a palayok; from how to choose the right pot, seasoning, cooking, and finally to cleaning and maintaining for regular uses.
If anything comes up, I’ll try to update this blog regularly to show you all anything else I’ve learned. For now, I’ll leave you with the major points.
What is a Palayok?
Let’s start with the basics, the palayok is a traditional Filipino claypot, also known as banga or tayab in Ilocano and kolun in Bisaya.
Historically, the palayok was used as means for storage (alcohol, vinegar, salt, rice, and water) and cooking. They can also be used to ferment various types of vinegar, fish sauce, and even wines for either personal uses or to be sold.
These are normally made of unglazed earthenware, which are porous.
Its high porosity achieves two things. Firstly, these can greatly retain more moisture and sometimes flavors of foods compared to glazed pots (more on this later).
Secondly, this makes them highly breathable, allowing steam to escape naturally through its pores.
Why Cook with a Palayok?
There’s two schools of thought when cooking with palayoks (or any kind of unglazed pot, for that matter).
One side says that cooking with one makes all the difference, while the other argues that there’s little benefit at all and you’re better off using more modern kinds of cookware.
“It’s Great“
As mentioned above, clay is naturally porous, allowing it to absorb flavor over time compared to glazed pots or stainless steel, for instance. Some further mention that the pot adds a subtle earthy flavor and aroma to dishes, which can be desirable in certain cases.
Take bibingka, for instance, a type of Filipino rice cake, which are traditionally baked in earthenware stoves in many parts and town plazas in the Philippines.
Due to its pores, it also allows for a smoother, even boil as some steam and moisture are able to escape. Despite this, palayoks are great at insulation and retaining high amounts of heat.
This means that you can simmer food at a low, steady flame, making it perfect for cooking stews and soups in.
With proper use and maintenance, palayoks should last you a long while and is a wonderful addition to any cookware in your kitchen.
“It Makes No Difference“
The other side of the argument poses that cooking with palayoks makes no difference whatsoever.
Firstly, since palayoks are traditionally made to be cooked over open charcoal or wood fires, there would be minimal flavor imparted into your food unless you use these methods (sorry induction and electric stove users).
Second, since we’re dealing with earthenware, these pots are already naturally fragile. Without proper care, you can risk cracking the pot either by wear-and-tear or via thermal shock (e.g., quickly adding cold liquids to an empty, hot palayok)
How to Choose
Choosing a good palayok is key to ensuring you don’t wind up with either a defective one right off the bat and it guarantees that it should last you a while for all your cooking needs.
Visit your local Asian/Filipino grocery: In the Philippines, you can find these being sold in most farmers or public markets. In the West, you can sometimes find them in Asian or Filipino groceries.
While you can try to purchase them online, I’ve found that some online stores will get you paying almost 5x the original price of what a palayok is supposed to be (whether you’d like to invest in this is entirely up to you!)
Is it actually a palayok?: So you’ve found what looks to be a clay pot. The next step is to confirm if it actually is one. Visually, palayoks tend to be either black, grey, or red. It comes in two parts: the pot (which usually has a wider base) and the lid (which has a circular handle). Don’t worry if the two don’t fit seamlessly together to form a tight seal -all it indicates is that the pot was most likely uniquely handmade!
As a further step, I’d recommend reading the label (if any) or asking one of the staff to confirm if it’s actually a Palayok. Some clay pots are strictly for decoration only, which may also smell strongly of wax or soil (another indication that the pot is not a palayok and not meant for cooking).
Check for holes and cracks: One of the most important things when choosing a Palayok is finding one that won’t break on you. Inspect the inside and outside of the pot, as well as the lid, meticulously for any cracks or holes that might have occurred during product shipment.
If the palayok is covered by some sort of paper or plastic, you can also lightly knock on the bottom of the pot and listen to the sound it makes. A good palayok will produce a low, deep pitch. A more fragile, cracked one will have a higher pitch.
Find the shape you want: Palayoks can come in different shapes and sizes. Smaller palayoks can be used for single-serving meals, while larger ones can be used for fiestas and large gatherings.
Palayok bases also matter. Those with smaller bases are good to use for any gas stoves or over open fire, though it wouldn’t be ideal for electric. If using electric, I’d recommend looking for flat bottom palayoks for better heat conduction.
Seasoning
Seasoning your palayok is crucial in not only preventing your food from tasting like dirt, but it also strengthens your pot to be durable enough for multiple uses.
In terms of frequency, you would only need to season your palayok once. Of course, if you feel that your initial seasoning wasn’t great (e.g., food continues to stick profusely, or your food tastes like mud), you can always do a second round to be sure.
If you haven’t used your palayok in a while (say, in around 6-8 months), I would probably do another round of seasoning as well. Otherwise, if you tend to use it regularly, the process of cooking and cleaning should do a good job in renewing its seasoning through time.
- Begin by rinsing your palayok in room temperature water to remove any initial dirt and debris.
2. In a large container, soak the palayok completely in room temperature water for at least one hour (I went for up to 3 hours). A good indicator that your palayok has finished soaking is that no more bubbles are escaping from the clay.
3. Remove the palayok from the water. Give it a brief rinse, then dry completely with a clean towel.
4. Grease the inside of the palayok and the underside of the lid with a thin layer of animal fat (e.g., pork, chicken) or neutral oil (e.g., peanut, canola, vegetable, etc.)
5. Fill the greased palayok 3/4 of the way full with room temperature water.
6. Place the palayok over low heat for 10 minutes to gently heat the clay (with the lid on).
7. After 10 minutes, turn the heat to high. Once the water comes to a strong boil, remove the lid, and continue boiling for 10 more minutes
*You may repeat this step as many times as needed until the water runs clear and it no longer smells like mud.
8. After 10 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat. Let the palayok cool down to room temperature completely to prevent temperature shocking the clay.
9. One completely cool, pour out the water. Using a sponge (without soap or detergent!), scrub the insides and outsides of the palayok to remove any more residual dirt.
10. Dry the palayok completely with a clean towel. It’s now ready to be cooked with!
Cooking with a Palayok
It’s important to note that because of its different material and properties, you can’t be cooking in unglazed clay pots as you do with woks or stainless steel.
Because clay doesn’t get as hot as metal, cooking times tend to be longer, and you won’t be able to achieve top-notch amazing sears as you would with cast iron, for instance.
Despite this, with enough practice, cooking in palayoks can be very rewarding and can be a showstopper at your next potluck due to its visual appeal! Take soups, for instance, which you can serve right onto someone’s table still bubbling and boiling away.
To avoid heat shocks, be sure to place the ingredients in the palayok prior to cooking or stir frying.
Pouring any cold liquids into an empty hot palayok, or cooking in high heat over long periods of time are both likely causes for cracking when cooking.
Examples of dishes that can be traditionally cooked in a palayok include:
- Paksiw
- Adobong Puti
- Pinakbet
- Kare Kare
- Tulingan
Cleaning and Maintenance
For a healthy and clean palayok worthy for future cooking, adequate cleaning and maintenance is important after every use.
- Prior to cleaning, bring the palayok to room temperature.
- Soak the palayok in room temperature water to soften any bits of hardened food (you can go as long as overnight).
- Once soaked, pour out the dirty water. Scoop in about 2-3 tbsp of coarse rock salt and use either a clean sponge (that’s not been exposed to soap), paper towel, or bamboo brush to scrub the inside of the palayok.
- Rinse out any food material from the palayok. Repeat Step #3 as many times as needed to ensure the water runs clear and there’s no longer any hardened food bits at the bottom of the palayok.
- Dry completely with a clean towel.
Of course, over frequent use, the palayok will eventually begin to succumb to wear-and-tear.
You may begin to notice that the palayok has begun to form new cracks, or the clay is chipping off at certain parts. If neither of these apply to you, yet the pot also begins leaking from certain mystery areas, this can also be a sign that the palayok is ready to be re-purposed.
When not in use for cooking, feel free to use the clay pot as a storage for dry ingredients, or simply as a pot for gardening.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned in the introduction, this is much of what I’ve compiled from some research I’ve done regarding palayoks.
So far, my palayok has been a great addition to my Filipino kitchen, though it’s definitely been a learning process as care and cooking techniques somewhat differ with my other favorite cookware (cast iron wok!).
In actuality, the first dish I ended up cooking with my palayok was adobong puti, but I made the mistake in not adding enough liquid, causing terrible scorching. I’m in the process of soaking, scrubbing, and drying for the past two days now -it’s not fun.
I’ll update this regularly with more tips and pieces of information as we see fit, or if any frequently asked questions pop up.
Feel free to comment down below your thoughts or if you need clarification with anything else. Happy cooking!
Here are the sources I used when writing the blog:
- https://verafiles.org/articles/palayok-glimpse-philippine-prehistory
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvYf1grmTy4
- https://www.coursesidekick.com/chemistry/3394143
- https://www.sharmispassions.com/how-to-season-claypot/
- https://www.astigvegan.com/how-to-use-an-unglazed-clay-pot-palayok/
- https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/seasoning-a-new-palayok
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