Onggi


Onggi is Korean earthenware, which is extensively used as tableware, as well as storage containers in Korea. It includes both unglazed earthenware fired near 600 to 700°C and pottery with a dark brown glaze that burnt over 1100°C.. The origin of onggi dates to around 4000 to 5000 BC. The two types of earthenware are a patternless earthenware which is called mumun and a black and red earthenware. The former, a patternless earthenware, was made with lumps of clay including much fine sand; however, the predecessor of Goryeo celadon and Joseon white porcelain, a black/red earthenware, was being made with only lumps of clay. The color of earthenware is determined by the iron contained in the clay and the way of burning the pottery. The present onggi shape dates from the Joseon era. Many records about onggi are found in Sejong Sillok Jiriji : "There are three kilns that make the yellow onggi in Chogye-gun and Jinju-mok, Gyeongsang Province".

History

Ong is the Korean word for "pottery" and refers to the form of the bowl.
Pottery has been used on the Korean peninsula since prehistoric times for storing food. In the Three Kingdoms period, images of large and small pottery appear on the tomb murals of Anak 3 in Goguryeo. Baekje and Silla records that they stored rice, liquor, oil, soy sauce, and salted fish. It is also used for drinking water storage. In the early period of the Joseon Dynasty, there were 104 'Ongjang' in 14 institutions such as Bongsung Temple, and there were two assistants according to ≪Ggyeong-guk Dae-jeon≫ in Joseon. In Sung-Hyun's ≪선화봉사 고려도경 宣和奉使高麗圖經≫, "Pottery is the most necessary vessel for people. Now, in Mapo and Noryangjin, mud baking is done as a clay pot, a kind of earthenware. " Thus, it can be seen that pottery has been used for life since prehistoric times.

Uses

Compared to porcelain, onggi has a microporous structure and has been found to assist in the fermentation in food processing such as the preparation of gochujang, doenjang, kimchi, and soy sauce. Onggi with proper porosity and permeability needs to be used in order to produce an optimally ripened quality in fermented foodstuff. Fine-tuned onggi containers are, in fact, suitable for many different kinds of fermented products. Since early times, Korea has been famous for fermented foods. In ancient Chinese historiography, in the Biographies of the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Dongyi in the Records of Wèi, which is part of the Records of the Three Kingdoms, there is this remark: "Goguryeo people have a custom of making fermented foods". The abundance of soybeans, which grow naturally in Korea, the fresh fishery resources from the sea surrounding the Korean Peninsula and a proper climate for microbial development, all give account of the importance of fermentation as food processing. The development and refinement of onggi ware also contributed to the development of fermented dishes within Korean cuisine. Large onggi ware were stored on the jangdokdae, an elevated floor near the house.

Features

Onggi, which are made by a specialized group of workmen called onggijang, has been influenced by the characteristics and climate of the regions where it has been made. Therefore, there are shapes and sizes of onggi and ways of manufacturing it that vary from region to region. Nevertheless, all onggi types share some properties. These are biodegradability, porosity, and its proof against rot as well as firmness or "vertebration". Due to the low firing temperatures often used in producing onggi, they are rarely found archaeologically since the sherds return to the clay state or are used as grog. Features of Onggi include its Breathability, Stability, Suitability for Fermentation, Economical Price, Porosity and Diversity of use.

Breathability

By heating to a high temperature, the crystal water contained in the wall of the pottery vessel is discharged, and pores are generated, so that air flows between the inside and the outside of the pottery pot. For this reason, Onggi was recognized as a breathable vessel from ancient times.

Stability

The pores of the pottery wall act as pushing out the impurities formed on the inner surface, so that the contents have excellent storage ability that can be stored for a long time without decaying.

Suitability for Fermentation

The most important characteristic of Korean cuisine is its use of fermented food. Fermented food is mostly fermented in Onggi pots. Tobacco, candlesticks, and cooked rice are also stored in containers made for fermentation purposes.

Economical Price

Since onggi the materials used in making Onggi can be easily and cheaply obtained, Onggi has traditionally retailed at a low price, which is not burdensome for ordinary people.

Porosity

While burning onggi, the onggijang master glazes its surface. This glaze plays a key role in giving a waterproof surface and preventing leaks. Following up, many particles of sand are included in the body of the clay acting as passages for air. This way, air can move through onggi while water cannot. Koreans call this action "Onggi drawing breath." This is one of the most critical reasons to use onggi in making Korean fermented foods.

Variety of Usage

Onggi is mainly used for food containers, but they can also be used to store household appliances such as lamps, fireplaces, ashtrays, ashtrays, coins, and ink pads, as well as ceremonial instruments, and for percussion instruments such as cans, onion jugs, and wind instruments.

Production method

Onggi pots are made of clay with a high percentage of iron. First, the soil to make the pottery is put into the water and whipped out to remove sand and impurities. Then, when the water comes out from the fine sediment that you have received, it forms a bowl and is dried in the sun. The potters then dry the dried-up bowl again in the sun, wash it with a lye solution, then dry it again. The glaze that is applied to the bowl is mixed with various substances and is then sifted through a sieve. After the glaze is applied to the bowl, an orchid or grass pattern is drawn on the body and the pot is air-dried thoroughly, then baked in a kiln and finished.
Another process of making Onggi is to first knead the soil, dry it in the shade and then with a tool to make it into a brick shape, and hit it on the floor into a plank shape. This is referred to as 'Panzhangjil'. Then put it on a spinning wheel and iron it with a Ddukmae. The shape of the Onggi is determined by the speed and hand movements of the spinning wheel. Since the pottery culture seemed likely to disappear after the 1960s due to the appearance of plastic and stainless steel bowls, the Ministry of Culture designated the Onggi Human Cultural Property in May 1989. In 1990, Onggijang was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties No. 96.

Types of Onggi Pots

The kinds of Onggi and its usage are as follows.
The act of putting red pepper, charcoal, jujube in a handhold and putting a gold wire on a rope and cutting and attaching a bouquet or a sword pattern is a way of saying that "the house is ruined if the taste changes.".
The gold bars are intended to prevent irregularities that may be caught in the dipping sauces. The sod is always pale, meaning that the sour taste does not change at all times. The fact that the sushi line is reversed means that it will return to its original taste even if the taste has changed. Also, putting charcoal, red pepper, jujube etc was like black as charcoal, red like red pepper and sweet as sweetness.
After the strength of the Japanese colonial rule, the liquor was replaced with a standardized form in the unique form of transferring alcoholic beverages, which was made only by the licensed sake maker.
In general, the sake used in the sake brewery is the 'sake, stone, stone, number, doo, bottle,, 'Year', 'month', 'month', 'test' and so on, and sometimes the name of a zodiac or a dragon appears.
This bottle, also known as the ear cup, is mainly made of liquid to make it easier for the snout to follow a small bottle.