Wednesday, May 23, 2012- OVENS!

I learned a lot today about improved ovens. Let me first begin by discussing what an improved oven is. Most Nicaraguans do not have stove/oven combinations like people in the United States and other developed nations may have. Instead, they have a either a gas stove top or a wood stove for cooking and a many also have some sort of barrel oven for baking. The barrel ovens that EOS installs use 75% less firewood than traditional ovens in Nicaragua because the heat is more evenly distributed. They are also much safer because the wood and fire is separated from the baked goods; the openings for both are also on opposite sides so women are breathing in less smoke when they bake. They cost $40 USD.

Several days before the construction of the oven begins, a foundation must be constructed. The actual foundation must be at least one meter by one meter. However, the one that I helped install today was a little longer. The foundation is constructed of bricks and a mud mortar. The middle is filled with sand.

Foundation of Improved Oven

Then, bricks are laid so that they form a one meter by one meter box around the top of the foundation. Again, mud is used as mortar. I helped with this part, but I soon realized that brick laying is not my forte. Salvador was very patient with me, but had to correct nearly every brick that I laid.

Before the barrel is added.

Then, the barrel, which has been fabricated so that it has a door on the outside and racks on the inside, is put on top of the first few layers of bricks. It is leveled so that goods will bake evenly.

Barrel with support bricks ready to be put under. You are looking at the door of the oven.

Next, bricks are added around the barrel, but gap is always left between the barrel and the bricks to allow for even heat transfer.

Adding bricks (and mud) around the barrel.

When the bricks are almost to the top of the barrel, one brick is layed upright in each corner of the barrel. Rebar is placed between them. The rebar then supports the bricks, so that the gap is still maintained.

Top(ish) bricks that lay on the rebar.

Finally, bricks are added to the top of the oven. The oven then has to dry for several days before it can be used. Sand is also added to the bottom of the barrel to help with even heating.  This process takes quite a while. We started at 6:30 in the morning, and I worked until a little after 11. Then, I had to leave in order to make lunch. However, Salvador was almost finished. All he had left was the top bricks to add. The reason it takes so long is the each brick is laid perfectly. Salvador is constantly measuring, leveling, and breaking bricks so that everything fits together nicely. A lot of mud is needed to hold everything together also.

Finished Oven at Alvaro's. Front view of door.

Rear view of where wood is added.

After helping to construct the oven this morning, I got to bake in one for lunch. After leaving
Salvador, I went to the store with Dennis to get the things I would need to cook the Tilapia that we had caught on Sunday. We also had go to a fresh vegetable stand because grocery stores here don’t carry anything fresh. At the stand, I bought three onions, three green peppers, some cilantro, and a nice sized pineapple for 35 Cordobas. This is equivalent to a little over $1 US. It was awesome!

The fish was simply scaled, gutted, decapitated, and cut in half. The skin and bones were still intact. I put the fish skin side down on some greased aluminum foil and rubbed butter and garlic on the fish. I didn’t want it to dry out. Then, I threw some onion, green pepper, and some salt and pepper on the fish before putting it in the oven. I made a pineapple salsa to go with it (equivalent to mango salsa but mangos are going out of season and getting hard to find). It had pineapple, onion, cilantro, and a little bit of fresh orange juice. Ubania made rice. The oven worked perfectly and the fish stayed moist. Everyone said they liked it. I know I did!

Tilapia ready to go into the oven



Fish coming out of the oven.

Ready to eat!