Burjiko
Encyclopedia
A Burjiko is a Somali
-style cooker or charcoal
burning stove
. It is used to prepare a variety of different foods.
mined from Somalia
's central district of Ceelbuur
.
The cooking instrument itself in function parallels those found in the Western world. Due to its portability, it is widely used in the Horn of Africa
and Southwestern Asia, especially by nomad
s.
(Somali pancakes), one uses a flat surfaced dish. A deep dish, however, is preferable when cooking sauce.
Besides canjeero and sauce, burjikos are also often used to prepare pasta
and meat dishes such as leg of lamb.
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
-style cooker or charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
burning stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
. It is used to prepare a variety of different foods.
Production and distribution
The burjiko is made from sepioliteSepiolite
Sepiolite is a clay mineral, a complex magnesium silicate, a typical formula for which is Mg4Si6O152·6H2O. It can be present in fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid forms....
mined from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
's central district of Ceelbuur
Ceelbuur
El Buur , alternatively Ceelbuur or Eilbur, is a town in central Somalia. It was formerly the capital of the Galgaduud region.-Overview:...
.
The cooking instrument itself in function parallels those found in the Western world. Due to its portability, it is widely used in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
and Southwestern Asia, especially by nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s.
Description and usage
The burjiko is circular in shape, with a deep hole running through its center where charcoal is placed. This hole is covered with different types of dishes, depending on what one wants to cook. For example, when making canjeeroInjera
Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea...
(Somali pancakes), one uses a flat surfaced dish. A deep dish, however, is preferable when cooking sauce.
Besides canjeero and sauce, burjikos are also often used to prepare pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
and meat dishes such as leg of lamb.