Black clay Chamba cookware is well-known throughout Colombia 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. Chamba cookware heats evenly and is renowned for retaining heat.