Kitchen, Through Time: A Study
a study in progress
We spend less time cooking today more than ever before. But the kitchen is turning into a domestic nerve center. It isn’t just a place where food is stored, prepared and cooked. It is a fully fledged living space for most people - the hub of a home, the backdrop to the ceremony and ritual of mealtimes. It is multi-functional now, embracing various activities and roles. But the reason behind this study predominantly revolves around the idea that good food promotes a deep sense of well-being. In a modern day scenario of the virtual taking over all aspects of life, the kitchen’s appeal lies in grounding us to reality. It is a wellspring of smells, textures and tastes that is a perfect antidote to this crisis. Consequently, the realm of the food maker is a pivotal setting in a home.
The study began when I came across a replica of a kitchen from back in the day at the Kerala Heritage Museum in Trivandrum.
This was back when ‘floor living’ was still the norm. There is no stone counter or tiles on the floor. Its mud walls and floor and raised platforms where the hearths are. All the utensils and kitchen apparatus were made of natural materials - stone, metal or wood. They had ingenious methods for storing oils, spices, firewood. Everything was accessible and the whole space was naturally lit during the day. Apart from the cooking on a hearth, which must have been a painstaking chore and blackened the walls, the rest of the setup worked seamlessly. It isn’t snazzy enough for our present-day tastes, but it fulfilled the requirements almost perfectly.
Source: mywordsnthought.com
This might not be chronologically accurate, but the kitchen shown in this image has transitioned to a combination of floor level platforms and another one raised all the way for performing a task standing up. The kitchen utensils and tools used are fairly similar in both images. What stands out in both instances though is the lack of a source of running water. These were times when every house had its own well. And an inference I have made from visiting Shakthan Thampuran Palace in Trissur, the well is conveniently placed for easy access from the kitchen. Of course, it is hard to surmise that regular households had such a luxury, like the royal ones. But it can be safely concluded that the washing and cleaning did not happen in the space as the cooking and storing.
Fast forward to today and modular kitchens are dominating the scene. In comparison with the hearths and open plan, the modern kitchen is prone to a clutter hoarded and hidden away behind the closed doors of cabinets with modular fittings, and swanky, built-in appliances. Ergonomics is a prominent consideration and the cooking, as well as all the other activities in here, are carried on standing up. But somehow we have ended up with more room for storage and more inaccessible corners. In an average sized apartment, there is not enough circulation space which is given up in favor of storage.
