Why Is Chamba So Popular?

• The cooking properties of clay. Many cooks love to cook with clay pots because clay is non-reactive with foods, has great heat distribution and retention and keeps food moister while cooking. As Paula Wolfert says, “food just seems to just taste better when cooked in clay cookware.”

• It’s an all-natural product. Chamba is different from most other clay or ceramic pottery because it doesn’t have a glaze. (See more details below).

• The aesthetics of Chamba. Black Chamba cookware is somehow elegant and rustic at the same time. It’s nice to be able to take a dish straight from the stovetop or oven to the table and know that the presentation is going to be terrific.

• Tradition. Our ancestors have been cooking with clay for thousands of years. Regardless of the culture, many of our traditional dishes are made best in clay pots.

All Chamba cookware comes from or near the village of La Chamba in Central Colombia. This small town is almost completely devoted to the making and sale of Chamba pottery—and has been for generations. Family members (more women than men) work together in their own homes, forming the clay into the shapes we are familiar with.

The clay used for Chamba is known as micaceous clay, meaning that it contains a high proportion of mica. Mica is the mineral that conducts heat so well and eliminates the need for a glaze on the pottery. Deposits of this clay are ubiquitous in and near the village. One needs only
a shovel and a short walk to “mine” the clay.

After the clay is cleaned and worked into shape, another, finer red clay is diluted and brushed onto the piece. After drying, this red clay “slip” is then burnished by hand with smooth stones before being placed in barrels and fired in wood burning kilns. The last step is to reduce the oxygen by covering the barrels; the clay takes on its characteristic black color from the smoke. More photos of this process are available on our website.

Question of the Month:

Do I need to use a heat diffuser with
Chamba on my electric (or ceramic) stove?

To be on the safe side, we’ve always recommended the use of a heat diffuser when using Chamba on a non-gas stove. Our concern is that
the concentrated heat from the electric coils will be too much for the clay and it will crack.

On the other hand, we know many people use Chamba with moderate heat on non-gas stoves without a heat diffuser and without a problem. Again, to be safe, it’s a probably a good idea to at least start out with a diffuser until your Chamba gets quite seasoned.

Recipe of the Month:

See How It’s Made In This Video Above:
Watch how to make this recipe by clicking
the play button in the video above.

Ingredients & Preparation for 6 Servings:

2 skinned chicken breasts with bone
2 skinned chicken thighs
1 yukon gold potato, peeled and cut in ½ slices
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in ½ slices
6 small red potatoes, cut in half
6 cups of water
2 cups of chicken broth
½ small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 ears of corn, remove husks and cut into 2 inch segments
¼ cup dried guascas
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Condiments for Soup:

¼ cup sour cream
½ cup capers
½ cup cilantro
½ ripe avocado

Chamba X-Large Casserole

A very versatile piece that’s
great for stovetop and oven meals.

Regular Price $89.95

Sale Price $79.95

Chamba Comal

Great for heating tortillas and
roasting
vegetables.

Regular Price $34.95

Sale Price $29.95

Chamba Roasting Pan, Large

Perfect size for lasagna or
enchiladas.

Regular Price $59.95

Sale Price $49.95