The word sarbloh is a compound word from sarab meaning all or entirely and loh meaning iron cook ware. Sarbloh is commonly used to mean all iron cookware or eating utensils. Many gurdwara langar kitchens are equipped with enormous sarbloh cookware which has the capacity to contain a large enough quantity of food to feed hundreds of people. Sarbloh is often used in the preparation of the blessed delicacy karah prashad distributed as a sacred offering at the end of a Sikh worship service. In ancient times Sarbloh cookware could be used to cook over a brick fire pit. Brick fire pits can still be found in historic gurdwaras, though many have been converted with gas burners.
Some traditional Sikhs continue to use sarbloh cookware and eating utensils in their homes. Sarbloh must be maintained to avoid rusting and has to cleaned immediately after use. Cleaning is done using sand or other abrasive cleaning method and by washing with a solution containing both acid and base properties such as lemon juice and salt or dish soap. Sarbloh may used by some not only for health reasons having to do with iron absorption in cooking, but as a meditative discipline and spiritual metaphor involving the qualities of iron:
- Iron is magnetic in the way in which the Sikh desires to adhere to the Guru.
- Iron rusts if neglected and must be scrubbed clean immediately after use and regularly maintained. Similarly the mind is easily corrupted if meditation as a spiritual focus is neglected.
- Spiritual association may transmute the properties of psyche the way the mythical touchstone transmutes the properties of metal.
The Guru is the Philosopher's Stone by whose touch, iron is transformed into gold." SGGS||1113
