Page 37 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 37
fireplaces in the vipava valley
house stirring polenta in the cauldron. At the fireplace, they would make butter in a big churn,
remove corn from the cob, scrape potatoes, etc.« (Terčelj, 1927a, p. 49)
Food preparation and other household chores and farm work
Cooking at an open fire was, according to Irena Keršič, a tough activity, because the per-
son who was cooking was exposed to cold and draught from the one side and to heat and
smoke from the other (1990, pp. 337–338). While preparing the food, the person had to
squat or kneel. Only when fireplaces were lifted to the table-height could food preparation
and cooking be done standing and there was no more constant bending. With the intro-
duction of hoods and chimneys in open-fire kitchens, the place was relieved of annoying
smoke that prickled the eyes; nevertheless, smoke remained a regularity until smoke ex-
haust was regulated directly from the closed fireplace in the stove. In this regard, Gorazd
Makarovič pointed out diseases which were associated with cooking at an open fire, such
as eye diseases (1986, p. 65). The stone edge of the fireplace might well have been more dis-
tinguished, but the wooden one was more merciful to the one who was cooking and was
forced to lean against it (Keršič, 1990, pp. 337–338; Šarf 1958a, pp. 32–39, 51, 85, 88–90;
1958b, pp. 13–14).
In order to cook, a fire had to be started first. Until the 20th century, fire was lit by
rubbing the fire steel against the flint, which created a spark that ignited a processed tree
mushroom. Later, fire was lit with matches and tinder, such as small pieces of broken twigs
and branches from very dry bundles (which had been drying even up to two years), bark
(which was left after making stakes) or dried corn cobs. Fire was often started with the
smouldering embers that were kept overnight under ashes in a hole on the hearth or in the
hob grate ( fornel) (Budal, 1993, p. 68; Keršič, 1990, p. 337; Kosta, 2003, p. 58). People need-
ed to watch the fireplace closely so that the fire would not die and add dry logs of an appro-
priate size to reach the desired temperature. In humble households, firewood mostly in-
cluded driftwood and brushwood. People were frugal with firewood. In some places, they
did not even saw or chop trunks into logs; instead, in colder parts of the year, they would
burn whole trunks, pushing them slowly into fire. When they needed smaller logs, they
would chop trunks into logs on the chopping block that stood in the kitchen. Fire was
fanned with an elder tree blowpipe and sometimes with bellows. For the firewood to burn
better, logs were leaned against the andiron. Ashes were removed from the hearth with a
metal shovel and deposited into the ash pit under the fireplace or the oven (Šarf, 1958a, p.
12, 43; 1958b, p. 4, 6). The temperature was regulated through the selection of the type,
size (thickness) and level of dryness of the wood that they put on the fire. For example, if
they needed a fire that burnt fast and strong, they would burn bundles of branches and
twigs. When cooking in a cauldron, the temperature was regulated by raising and lower-
ing the chain, which the cauldron was attached to with a height-adjustable metal hook.
When cooking in pots on tripods or in three-legged pots, the temperature was regulated
by pushing or removing the smouldering embers under the pots. Special tongs were used
to move embers; some housewives, however, had such toughened hands that they could
move pots as well as embers with their bare hands.
35
house stirring polenta in the cauldron. At the fireplace, they would make butter in a big churn,
remove corn from the cob, scrape potatoes, etc.« (Terčelj, 1927a, p. 49)
Food preparation and other household chores and farm work
Cooking at an open fire was, according to Irena Keršič, a tough activity, because the per-
son who was cooking was exposed to cold and draught from the one side and to heat and
smoke from the other (1990, pp. 337–338). While preparing the food, the person had to
squat or kneel. Only when fireplaces were lifted to the table-height could food preparation
and cooking be done standing and there was no more constant bending. With the intro-
duction of hoods and chimneys in open-fire kitchens, the place was relieved of annoying
smoke that prickled the eyes; nevertheless, smoke remained a regularity until smoke ex-
haust was regulated directly from the closed fireplace in the stove. In this regard, Gorazd
Makarovič pointed out diseases which were associated with cooking at an open fire, such
as eye diseases (1986, p. 65). The stone edge of the fireplace might well have been more dis-
tinguished, but the wooden one was more merciful to the one who was cooking and was
forced to lean against it (Keršič, 1990, pp. 337–338; Šarf 1958a, pp. 32–39, 51, 85, 88–90;
1958b, pp. 13–14).
In order to cook, a fire had to be started first. Until the 20th century, fire was lit by
rubbing the fire steel against the flint, which created a spark that ignited a processed tree
mushroom. Later, fire was lit with matches and tinder, such as small pieces of broken twigs
and branches from very dry bundles (which had been drying even up to two years), bark
(which was left after making stakes) or dried corn cobs. Fire was often started with the
smouldering embers that were kept overnight under ashes in a hole on the hearth or in the
hob grate ( fornel) (Budal, 1993, p. 68; Keršič, 1990, p. 337; Kosta, 2003, p. 58). People need-
ed to watch the fireplace closely so that the fire would not die and add dry logs of an appro-
priate size to reach the desired temperature. In humble households, firewood mostly in-
cluded driftwood and brushwood. People were frugal with firewood. In some places, they
did not even saw or chop trunks into logs; instead, in colder parts of the year, they would
burn whole trunks, pushing them slowly into fire. When they needed smaller logs, they
would chop trunks into logs on the chopping block that stood in the kitchen. Fire was
fanned with an elder tree blowpipe and sometimes with bellows. For the firewood to burn
better, logs were leaned against the andiron. Ashes were removed from the hearth with a
metal shovel and deposited into the ash pit under the fireplace or the oven (Šarf, 1958a, p.
12, 43; 1958b, p. 4, 6). The temperature was regulated through the selection of the type,
size (thickness) and level of dryness of the wood that they put on the fire. For example, if
they needed a fire that burnt fast and strong, they would burn bundles of branches and
twigs. When cooking in a cauldron, the temperature was regulated by raising and lower-
ing the chain, which the cauldron was attached to with a height-adjustable metal hook.
When cooking in pots on tripods or in three-legged pots, the temperature was regulated
by pushing or removing the smouldering embers under the pots. Special tongs were used
to move embers; some housewives, however, had such toughened hands that they could
move pots as well as embers with their bare hands.
35
