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10 History
The seaweed kilns
Ar fornioù bezhin
Built in the dunes according to the direction of the prevailing winds, they are long stone-lined trenches several metres in length, narrow and shallow.
From June to September, the seaweed-harvesting families burn the dried seaweed in them for several days in a row. The combustion is slow and gives off a thick, acrid smoke. Using tools called pifoun, the ashes are kneaded until a compact paste is obtained, which is then left to cool. This produces soda cakes.
To make it easier to turn out the soda cakes, the kilns can be divided into compartments by stones placed crosswise and sealed with clay joints.
The soda cakes, weighing up to 70 kg, are then delivered to the factories for processing.