Collection: Black ceramic - Greda - La Chamba

Black ceramic La chamba or Greda is well-known throughout Latin America and is used in restaurants and homes for preparing and serving traditional dishes. Its origins can be traced back at least 700 years to vases and pitchers found in pre-Columbian archaeological sites. It is still made in the traditional manner, by families in the village of La Chamba, on the banks of the Magdalena River in Central Colombia. Each piece is hand-crafted using local clays, burnished by hand and fired on-site. The painstaking process and natural materials give the dishes an authentic, distinctive and elegant look, yet Chamba is strong enough to use on the stovetop, oven or microwave. Chamba cookware heats evenly and is renowned for retaining heat.

Cooking with clay creates food that is healthier, tastier and moister!

COOKING WITH CHAMBA
Chamba cookware is practical as well as beautiful and is ideal for cooking and serving. It can be used in the oven, in the microwave and on the stovetop (many recommend the use of an inexpensive heat diffuser when using it on an electric range). Do not expose your Chamba to sudden changes in temperature—such as moving it directly from the refrigerator to the oven, placing it in a hot oven (don’t pre-heat the oven), or placing it on a cold surface when it is hot.

SEASONING CHAMBA
Before you use your clay Chamba cookware for the first time, the piece should be filled three-quarters full with water and placed uncovered in an oven for 30 minutes at 200ºC. This usually seals the cookware, although a complete seal is sometimes achieved only after it has been used several times for cooking. Boiling milk in the vessel may help if it is still found to be too porous, but this is rarely necessary. All of the cookware and tableware can be used over any direct source of heat, including an open fire. Over time you will notice changes in color of the pot from exposure to the heat source.