Clay Ovens Across Time: Cooking, Craft, and Gathering

Earth ovens, known by various names across cultures—horno, tandoor, forno, fouqar, tabun and many others—are ancient cooking structures that have transcended time and geography, shaping culinary traditions and communal practices. These ovens are far more than just tools for cooking; they embody the ingenuity, resilience, and cultural depth of the communities that have crafted and utilized them for millennia. They offer a timeless connection to the earth, using simple materials to produce food that sustains both body and soul. In the Southwest, hornos have been an integral part of Indigenous communities' history, where they have been utilized for baking bread and other staple foods, maintaining a practice that has been adapted over generations while remaining central to community gatherings and traditions.

The Americas

Two traditional adobe clay outdoor ovens with wood logs stacked behind them, set against a rustic earth-colored wall.
A small adobe oven with a rounded top, made of clay bricks, with a wooden plank placed in front of its opening, and a small stone resting on the base beneath the plank. The oven is set against a dirt ground and wall.
Adobe
Brick oven or kiln in a workshop with a fire inside, placed on a wooden stand, surrounded by tools and workshop supplies.
Clay stove with three black pots heating over an open fire inside a mud-brick room with a small window.
A outdoor stone adobe oven with a brick and mud chimney and a circular opening, situated in a dry, rocky desert landscape.

Africa

An outdoor mud oven with bread baking inside, with a metal peel holding several loaves; soil and brick wall in the background.
Traditional wood-fired clay oven with flames inside, surrounded by stacked pottery and gardening tools, in an outdoor rustic setting.
A person stokes a fire inside a traditional clay oven, which has a rounded shape and an opening at the front.
A small outdoor oven made of concrete and stones, with a black circular opening and a pile of rocks and leaves nearby.

Europe

A stone outdoor oven with a fire burning inside
A traditional stone-fired outdoor oven with a domed top, set against a brick wall, with various pottery pots and tools nearby.
A large stone outdoor oven with a rounded, dome-like top and a rectangular opening, set in a natural outdoor setting.
A brick pizza oven with a domed top and a small arched door in the front.

Middle East & South Asia

Large, rounded, stone oven with a circular opening at the top, set against a brick wall.
Ancient circular mud brick structure with a rounded opening, located outdoors in a desert environment.
A traditional outdoor stone oven with a round opening and a rusty metal chimney at the lower front. The oven is built with irregularly shaped stones and is set against a light-colored wall with a garden in the background.
A clay outdoor fireplace or oven with a round opening at the top, surrounded by rocks, on a dirt ground against a beige wall.

2023: we met a pizza baker in CA, traveling north with his horno!

In 2025, earth ovens still provide a timeless way to come together and celebrate shared traditions. Whether it's an horno, tandoor, imu, lovo, or forno, cooking in these ovens has a way of bringing people close, turning meal preparation into a collective experience. The process of using natural materials and traditional methods creates a space for connection, focusing on the simple joy of cooking and sharing food. We invite you to slow down, enjoy the warmth of these ancient ovens, gather around the fire with others, and savor the flavors of history while creating lasting memories.

A portable outdoor pizza oven on a trailer, with firewood stored underneath, set up on a paved street in a small town.
A person working on building a brick or stone fire pit outdoors with a trowel and ruler, surrounded by pavers and bricks, under sunlight.

Our Commitment to Honoring Earth Oven Traditions

At Eye of the Horno, we honor the rich heritage of earth ovens, drawing inspiration from the traditional horno while blending it with modern sensibilities. These ovens connect us to the land, bringing people together through the timeless ritual of cooking. Rooted in global traditions, we particularly honor the place of hornos in the Indigenous cultures here in the Southwest. Using traditional techniques and natural materials, we let the ovens do their work—connecting us through food, fire, and the earth around us.

Together, we’ll create something extraordinary

Woman standing next to a small outdoor clay and stone oven with a rounded top and a small arched opening.
Large, rounded, dome-shaped kiln with glowing hot embers inside, situated outdoors with trees and a wooden shelter visible above.
Pizza with cherry tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze on a black pizza crust.