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PROMISCUITY FOR THE MIND
Music to amplify (pun intended) your reading.
Putnam Smith – Cast Iron Pan
https://bit.ly/SIZZLING_CAST_IRON_PAN
Migos – Stir Fry https://bit.ly/FLIPPIN_N_FRYIN
A. Cast Iron cookware originates from the 5th Century B.C.
B. It is deeply satisfying to work with.
C. There is a lot of Science, mainly Physics and Chemistry to it.
D. Marketers have attempted via casuistry to obfuscate, complicate and confound cast iron cookware and cooking. A superb example of over-marketing
E. All is not lost, however.
F. There are demonstrable health and aesthetic benefits.
G. Lucky Iron Fish is a charming side story to the Saga of Cast Iron Cooking.
My grandmother and her mother for sure, my mother for sure, me for sure – I can surely describe myself as a 4th generation Cast Iron Cook.
5th Century BC, Jiangsu, China is where the first pots cast in iron are recorded. To this day, the local term, where I come from, for a cast iron wok is "Cheena Chatti – the Chinese Pot". But it is the material, not the shape that the rest of this article is about. And Over-Marketing. And an unusual Brand Story.
In my Brand Periodic Table™ (the subject of my Current Research) one of the most enigmatic vectors is "First Contact". The best description is "The Sicilian Thunderbolt", the complex matrix of obsession and volcanic desire that Mario Puzo describes in The Godfather.
I first saw a Western Style Cast Iron Skillet at a Hotel Kitchen Stocking Warehouse. The centuries of cast iron cooking in my blood and the sight of that incredibly minimalist mass of iron – it was 'Thunderbolt' time. The reason this feeling is enigmatic is that it transcends conscious decision making -it is all animal instinct. One doesn't compare Brands, prices, utility, form, function and all the other silly things Marketing Textbooks and Marketing Research and Case Studies waffle on about consumers.
In 'Thunderbolt' moments, nothing matters. It is like Love, IT IS LOVE. Sure there are other World-class cast iron cookware manufacturers but who cares? Saw this first, Thunderbolt happened, decided. And, by the way, this also happened in real-time with the cast-iron beasts teasing me from the shelves. Not some sissy website, on-line ordering, home delivery, disconnect between photography and reality, etc sort of thing... Hands-on, tactile, Thunderbolt style - that's how Thunderbolts work.
And so because I did not have a credit card and I had little money I only bought a Classic 15" skillet with an incredible cover (extra accessory) and the cutest server which doubles up as a bread loaf sized egg fryer. Both are super heavy for their size.
'Convolvolutists'. I had to develop this term to describe that special breed of over-marketing people who intentionally take something simple and intuitive – and with a combination of obfuscation, casuistry, confoundment and the most convoluted explanations, kill joy. And then create fear, uncertainty and doubt. They are usually Geeks, self-styled gurus, new converts, or over-eager manufacturers. And they can drive regular people nuts.
Now for Cast – Iron. Cast Iron cooking has been here since the 5th Century AD. People were happily cooking and eating with said material between fire and food. The over-marketers have recently discovered Cast Iron Cooking. If you were to follow them on media of various kinds on and off-line you would be confused beyond repair.
Take this concept of 'non-stick' surface. When a cast-iron skillet is used time and again, the fats used, react with the surface to create a polymerized coating. This is essentially nonstick. All it takes is time and sauteing a few onion slices now and then to re-establish the surface polymerization.
The over-marketers have combined this with the dangers of artificial non-stick coating to create some sort of pissing contest for Cast Iron pan owners. How much more non-stick can you make your pan? Suggestions involve baking in an oven at super hi-heat with coatings of exotic flowers and oils, animal parts, voodoo incantations and ritual sacrifice. Naturally, to accompany these kinky ideas are the washing up rites. These include silkworm cocoons, pumice from ancient volcanoes, fibers from secret organic chemistry labs and fluids rivaling druidic potions. They only seemed to have missed full moon nights and black robes. If you think this paragraph is an exaggeration, go ahead, let Google be your guide.
All of this misses the point. If the damn pots and pans have been in use for thousands of years, they have stood the test of time, sloppy users, misuse, and simply do not need over-marketing. And the ancients certainly did not acquire advanced degrees in metallurgy, materials science, polymer chemistry, organic residue disposal, the physics of combustion, food biochemistry etc...to make grilled potatoes on a cast-iron skillet! One cannot stress this too much – the dangers of Over-marketing. The average Cast Iron pan buyer today is thoroughly confused. Are they buying a status symbol? An advanced chemistry lab,? A white elephant? Something that will deliver them enough Iron to make them look like the Terminator 3? Or juts a simple pan?
I do cast iron cooking shows where the cooking is forced to be a tiny part of the show. Most of the time is spent in reassuring people that they DO NOT need to heed all this over-marketing hype. Just cook and you will be fine. And if you do need pointers, here they are:
And if you noticed something fishy in this photograph, here’s a nice warm story – exactly the opposite of over-marketing.
University of Guelph student Christopher Charles figured that an inexpensive way to get iron across to the iron-deficient is cast iron cookware. And if they cannot afford such cookware, then put an Iron ingot into the food while it cooks! The ingot is shaped like a fish, a lucky symbol for Cambodians, the first recipients. It is now a worldwide project that donates one fish for everyone that you buy. Read more about it here:
In India, it is available as the Lucky Iron Leaf. Now hope that all this luck keeps the over-marketers at bay. Now go forth and Cast your love in Iron !!!
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