olla
cooking pot, Mexico
In Mexican Spanish a cooking pot is olla. A pot for plants is maceta and a wide shallow pot is cazuela.
Meaning: cooking pot or flower pot (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| olla | cooking pot, Mexico |
| maceta | flower pot |
| cazuela | casserole |
Olla is used for soup, beans and tamales, as in olla de frijoles. A maceta holds a plant and a cazuela is used for stews and moles.
Which one should you use?
A clay pot is olla de barro, and many Mexican cooks prefer it for beans and coffee.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use olla for a flower pot, which is maceta.
Did you know?
- Café de olla is a Mexican coffee made in a clay pot with cinnamon and piloncillo.
Examples in context
- Pon la olla en la estufa.Put the pot on the stove.
- Compré una maceta para la planta.I bought a pot for the plant.
- Los frijoles se cocinan en olla de barro.Beans are cooked in a clay pot.
Example conversation
Doña Carmen and her daughter Lili cook beans in a kitchen in Oaxaca.
- LiliMamá, ¿qué olla uso para los frijoles?Mom, which pot do I use for the beans?
- Doña CarmenLa de barro, mija.The clay one, dear.
- LiliYa la puse en la lumbre.I already put it on the fire.
