An onggi is a traditional Korean earthenware jar used to ferment and store kimchi, soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang and rice wine.

Why are onggi called breathing jars?

The fired clay walls are not completely sealed, so a small amount of air passes through while liquid stays in, which Korean makers value for slow fermentation.

Onggi: The Korean Earthenware Jar Used for Fermentation

Q: What is a jangdokdae?

A raised stone platform in a Korean courtyard where a household's onggi jars of sauces and pastes are kept in the sun and air.

Onggi (옹기) are the large brown earthenware jars Koreans have used for centuries to ferment and store food: kimchi, soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang and rice wine. They are made from local clay, finished with a traditional glaze made with wood ash, and fired in a kiln.

What makes onggi good for fermentation?

Onggi are often called “breathing jars”. The fired clay is not completely sealed, so a small amount of air moves through the walls while liquid stays in. Korean makers have long valued this for slow ferments that need months or years. The thick walls also keep the contents at a steadier temperature through the seasons.

What is a jangdokdae?

A jangdokdae (장독대) is the raised stone platform in a Korean courtyard where the family’s onggi stand in rows. It is placed in a sunny, well-aired spot, and the lids are lifted on fine days to let the sauces breathe. A full jangdokdae was once a sign of a well-run household, and many Korean families still keep one.

What is the difference between onggi and a moon jar?

Both are Korean, but they are very different objects. Onggi are everyday working vessels made of brown earthenware for fermenting food. A moon jar (dalhangari) is a white porcelain jar from the Joseon dynasty, admired for its soft, imperfect round shape and now one of the best-known symbols of Korean craft.

Are earthenware jars used to ferment skincare?

Some Korean brands bring the same slow, jar-based method into cosmetics. Roséel, made by EUNMI Co., Ltd. in Gangneung, ferments its base naturally for 180 days in blue earthenware jars, using nine Korean medicinal botanicals and Jeju mugwort. The brand calls it “the Blue jar sent by nature”. Its gift-wrapped 4-step set (A$120) and the individual toner, serum and cream are sold in Australia on jinjja.shop. Why the 180 days matters.

More on Korean fermentation

Every fact about a brand on this page comes from that brand’s own material. These are cosmetic products, and nothing on this page is a therapeutic claim.