Portuguese clay bowl (alguidar): what it is, what it is for and how to care for it

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 5 minute read

An alguidar is a Portuguese bowl with a mouth much wider than its base, traditionally made of clay, used for kneading bread, seasoning and marinating meat, washing and serving. The word comes from the Arabic al-gidār, meaning a large bowl. Today it is still used for bread dough, for the marinated pork known as carne de alguidar and for bringing a big salad to the table. At Ra-Ro, the black clay alguidar from Gondar costs €36.20.

We told the history of the alguidar in Clay Alguidar: the bowl that travelled through the Portuguese kitchen. This article is the practical side: how to choose, prepare, use and look after one.

The alguidar in short

• What it is: a bowl with a wide mouth and a narrow base, made of clay, wood, metal or plastic. Clay is the traditional material.
• The word: from the Arabic al-gidār, a large bowl. The Portuguese plural is alguidares.
• What it is for: kneading and proving bread, seasoning and marinating meat, serving salads and, in the past, washing dishes and clothes.
• Glazed or black clay: a glazed bowl is smooth inside and less porous; Gondar black clay is unglazed and gets its colour from the smoke of the soenga.
• At Ra-Ro: the Black Clay Alguidar by César Teixeira, for €36.20.

What an alguidar is and where the word comes from

The alguidar is one of the simplest shapes in pottery: an upside down truncated cone, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. That shape lets you work inside it with both hands, whether kneading dough or turning meat in its marinade. The word reached Portuguese through the Arabic spoken in the Iberian Peninsula, from al-gidār, meaning a large bowl, and already appears in written Portuguese in the early sixteenth century. See also the alguidar entry in the Ra-Ro glossary.

What an alguidar is used for

In the past, there was hardly a kitchen or household task without an alguidar:

• Bread and sweets: kneading bread dough and leaving it covered to rise, or proving the dough for filhoses.
• Pig slaughter: cutting and seasoning the meat, leaving sausage meat in a wine and garlic marinade (vinha d'alhos) and preparing blood sausages.
• Carne de alguidar: pork left to marinate in the alguidar, which gave the dish its name.
• Washing: one alguidar to wash the dishes, another to rinse them, and also for laundry.

Today, a clay alguidar is still useful for:

• kneading homemade bread and letting the dough rise;
• seasoning meat for the oven or marinating it overnight;
• serving a large salad, migas or fruit at the table;
• keeping bread or fruit on display, as a useful decorative piece.

Glazed or black clay: which to choose

• Glazed alguidar: the inside is covered with glaze, so it is smooth, absorbs little and is easy to wash. It is the most common type in Portuguese kitchens.
• Unglazed black clay alguidar: the clay is left bare, with a matt surface and smoke marks. The one from Gondar, in Amarante, is fired in a soenga, a firing in a pit in the ground, smothered so the smoke dyes the clay black. Because it is unglazed, the clay breathes and needs a little more care.

For dough, salads and serving, both work well. If you want a piece that also looks beautiful on the table, black clay is the choice. Read more about this clay in Gondar black clay.

How to prepare a clay alguidar before first use

An alguidar is a bowl for preparing and serving food, so preparing it is simple and mainly removes the dust from firing and settles the clay:

1. Rinse the alguidar under running water and remove the dust with a soft brush.
2. Leave it to soak in clean water for a few hours.
3. Let it air dry completely before using or storing it.

Black clay pieces that do go on the heat, like the casserole and the cooking pot, have their own seasoning method, explained in Gondar black clay: how to season the casserole and the pot.

How to wash and care for a clay alguidar

• Warm water and a brush: enough for most washes.
• Little or no detergent: unglazed clay is porous and can hold the smell of soap.
• No dishwasher: handmade clay is best washed by hand.
• Dry well: let it air dry before putting it away, to avoid damp and odours.
• Avoid shocks: do not move it from very cold to very hot, and do not knock it down hard on stone.

Sizes: how to choose an alguidar

Alguidares come in many sizes, from small ones for seasoning and serving to very large ones that were used at the pig slaughter. To choose, think about the main use:

• Serving salads or fruit: a medium bowl that sits easily in the middle of the table.
• Kneading bread: a bowl with room for the dough to double in size.
• Marinating meat: a size in which the meat is well covered by the marinade.

The measurements of the Ra-Ro alguidar are on the product page. As each piece is handmade, it may vary slightly from one to the next.

Price and where to buy a clay alguidar

At Ra-Ro, the Black Clay Alguidar costs €36.20. It is handmade by César Teixeira in Gondar and fired in a soenga. From the same potter come the Black Clay Casserole (€56.20), the Black Clay Cooking Pot (€46.20) and the Black Clay Pot (€60.20).

To lay a whole table, the Black Clay Table Pack (€121.32) brings together the alguidar, the gourd, the large jug and the small jug. For cooking, the Soenga Kitchen Pack (€92.16) brings the casserole and the cooking pot. We ship to Portugal, Europe, the USA, Canada and Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

What is an alguidar?

A Portuguese bowl with a mouth much wider than its base, traditionally made of clay, used for kneading bread, seasoning and marinating meat, washing and serving.

Where does the word alguidar come from?

From the Arabic al-gidār, meaning a large bowl. It reached Portuguese through the Arabic spoken in the Iberian Peninsula.

What is a clay alguidar used for?

Kneading and proving bread, seasoning and marinating meat, as in carne de alguidar, and serving salads, migas or fruit at the table.

How do you prepare a clay alguidar before use?

Rinse it with water and a soft brush, leave it to soak in clean water for a few hours and let it air dry completely before first use.

Can a clay alguidar go in the dishwasher?

It is not recommended. Wash it by hand with warm water and little or no detergent, and let it dry well before storing.

How much does a black clay alguidar cost?

At Ra-Ro, the Gondar Black Clay Alguidar, handmade by César Teixeira, costs €36.20.