Dirty Kitchens

Do you know the difference between a “dirty kitchen” and a “dirty” kitchen?

If your first thought involves a sink full of dishes and pizza boxes piled a mile high, you’re not wrong about the latter term but the former is actually an old way of doing things customary in warmer countries, such as in Thailand and the Philippines.

It is traditional in many Asian countries for families to have a so-called dirty kitchen located outside of the home or in a covered area attached, but well ventilated away from the main house. For some, this may be the only kitchen, or they will have another one inside the home, which is kept clean to show guests or for special occasions.

In Asia, it’s easy to see why people would want to keep heat as far away as possible from the living area. It gets hot. There is also a lot of pungent, oily, bold, garlicky and fishy food being prepared, and the main way of cooking is often with smoky charcoal or wood fire stoves. It’s preferable to keep these strong odours out of the house.

Meanwhile, in the Western hemisphere, it’s a burgeoning trend for homeowners to include a dirty kitchen, a separate galley off the main kitchen, which is used to prep food. It keeps the dirty work of cooking hidden so it doesn’t tarnish beautiful and increasingly large kitchens that have morphed into granite-endowed family gathering spots.

Other names you may have heard dirty kitchens referred to include “spice” kitchens, and “working” kitchens.

What do you think? Will your new home include a dirty kitchen?