Comal (cookware) facts for kids
A comal is a flat cooking surface, like a pan, used mainly in Mexico and parts of Central and South America. People use it to cook tortillas and arepas, toast spices, or even sear meat. In South America, a similar cooking tool is called a budare.
Some comals are curved and made of clay, called barro. Native people in Mexico and Central America still make and use these traditional clay comals today. Comals are a bit like the flat griddles you might see in America or a tava from India. Sometimes, people even use these names interchangeably.
For home use, comals are often made from strong metal like cast iron. They can be round to fit over one stove burner or long to cover two burners. In many old cultures, comals were passed down through families, from grandmothers to mothers and daughters. This was because an old comal, used for many years, was believed to cook food better and heat up faster.
History of the Comal
The idea of cooking with a comal is very old. It goes back to a time called the pre-Columbian era, which was long before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. Back then, people cooked tortillas made from ground corn on a comal over an open fire. Comals were also used to toast cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate!
The word "comal" comes from the Aztec language, Nahuatl. In that language, it was called comalli.
The first comals were thin, flat pieces of pottery with slightly raised edges. Archaeologists, who study old things, have found these ancient comals at sites all over Central America. The oldest ones found are from about 700 years before Jesus was born.
See also
In Spanish: Comal para niños
