Arkansas State Historic Cooking Vessel

Dutch oven

Adopted in 1929.

The Arkansas State Historic Cooking Vessel is the Dutch Oven.  It was adopted in 1929.

Arkansas Legislature Archives

1-4-125. State historic cooking vessel.
The Dutch oven is hereby designated as the official historic cooking vessel of the State of Arkansas. 
History. Acts 2001, No. 476, § 1. 

According to Ragsdale the name Dutch Oven has been applied to a variety of cooking pots, kettles, and ovens over the years.  The origin of the name, "Dutch Oven", is uncertain but Ragsdale suggests a few theories.

1. In 1704 a man by the name of Abraham Darby traveled from England to Holland to inspect a Dutch casting process by which brass vessels where cast in dry sand molds.  Upon returning to England Darby experimented with the process and eventually patented a casting process using a better type of molding sand as well as a process of baking the mold to improve casting smoothness.  Darby eventually began casting pots and shipping them to the new colonies and throughout the world. Ragsdale suggests that the name "Dutch Oven" may have derived from the original Dutch process for casting metal pots.
2. Others have suggested that early Dutch traders or salesmen peddling cast iron pots may have given rise to the name "Dutch Oven".
3. Still others believe that the name came from Dutch settlers in the Pennsylvania area who used similar cast iron pots or kettles.

To this day the name "Dutch Oven" is applied to various cast pots or kettles.  The most common application of the name is to a cast iron pot or kettle with a flat bottom having three legs to hold the oven above the coals, flat sides and a flat, flanged lid for holding coals. These ovens have a steel bail handle attached to "ears" on each side of the oven near the top for carrying.

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