Cooking with a hay box? How pacific islanders do it
Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 1:31 pm
I hope I am not off-topic but could not find any posts re Hay Boxes. Perhaps some kind person could re-direct me.
On one trip I saw how the islanders cooked very efficiently. If I remember correctly they burnt some wood in a deep hole in the sand. When it had died down to embers they put a thin layer of sand over the embers. The food was then wrapped in large leaves and placed on top. Sand was then added to fill the hole. The principle of utilising the minimum amount of fuel and very efficient low cost insulation was put into practice without using manufactured materials. I think that in some places they use stones that have been heated in a fire but this would be less effficient as the stones lose heat during their transfer.
I am a retired physicist and think it sad that so many people have never been taught about heat transfer, whether by conduction, radiation or convection.
As a pensioner I avoid wastng heat that I have to purchase out of my pension eg I always measure a cup-full of water if I am making one cup of tea. Has anybody ever calculated the total quantity of heat wasted if everybody boiled an extra cup of water every time they made tea?
Pensioners try hard to reduce carbon emission because they also need to cut fuel bills. This also applies to driving at a modest pace. Please don't honk because I am driving at 30 mph in a 30 mph zone.
On one trip I saw how the islanders cooked very efficiently. If I remember correctly they burnt some wood in a deep hole in the sand. When it had died down to embers they put a thin layer of sand over the embers. The food was then wrapped in large leaves and placed on top. Sand was then added to fill the hole. The principle of utilising the minimum amount of fuel and very efficient low cost insulation was put into practice without using manufactured materials. I think that in some places they use stones that have been heated in a fire but this would be less effficient as the stones lose heat during their transfer.
I am a retired physicist and think it sad that so many people have never been taught about heat transfer, whether by conduction, radiation or convection.
As a pensioner I avoid wastng heat that I have to purchase out of my pension eg I always measure a cup-full of water if I am making one cup of tea. Has anybody ever calculated the total quantity of heat wasted if everybody boiled an extra cup of water every time they made tea?
Pensioners try hard to reduce carbon emission because they also need to cut fuel bills. This also applies to driving at a modest pace. Please don't honk because I am driving at 30 mph in a 30 mph zone.
