Tandoor Oven

A tandoor is a traditional oven shaped like a large clay jug or cylinder, common in the cuisines of Central and South Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. A fire (of wood or charcoal) is laid inside, at the bottom, and the thick clay walls accumulate and radiate a powerful, even heat.

The best-known use of the tandoor is baking bread. Thin flatbreads (like Indian naan or Central Asian loaves) are pressed by the maker right against the red-hot inner walls of the oven, to which they stick and in a matter of minutes bake, taking on golden scorch marks with a characteristic smoky aroma. Meat is cooked in the tandoor in the same way: pieces or whole carcasses are threaded onto long skewers and lowered inside vertically — the intense heat from all sides quickly roasts them while keeping them succulent (the classic being Indian tandoori chicken). The high temperature (up to 400–480 °C) and the enclosed space create a unique effect combining searing, roasting, and smoking at once. The tandoor is not merely an oven but a part of an ancient culinary culture, a symbol of the hospitality of many peoples.