Like the pressure cooker, the form of the cataplana ensures that the steam from cooking the food is retained in the utensil,generating an increase in pressure and permitting cooking temperatures above 100°C. In addition, its concave shape, together with the excellent thermal conductivity of copper, means that the heat is distributed more uniformly in its interior, thereby ensuring more even cooking of the food. On a low heat,for example, this heat distribution makes the utensil more energy efficient. The origins of this cooking contraption are lost in time. In the early 20th century Portuguese hunters carried cataplanas loaded with onions and tomatoes, so they could cook game on a wood fire. Later, in the 1960s, the cataplana became a popular way to cook fish and shellfish in the Algarve. Since then, it has become a hallmark of Portuguese cooking. Besides, the cooking process used by the Cataplana prevents the loss of the ingredients and aromas, ensuring a full and excellent flavour. Furthermore, cooking in the Cataplana is healthier since the recipes use less fat, and thus contain fewer calories. Although not hermetically sealed like a pressure cooker, the cataplana works in a similar way, and can therefore be described as an early version of the modern utensil. The wider use of the pressure cooker, which is very common in modern-day homes, does not appear logical,however, given the clear advantages that its counterpart, the cataplana,offers and that ought to give it pride of place in the domestic kitchen.
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