The chefs worked together for several hours, first to sterilize the onggi over heated charcoal topped with a small amount of honey, which fumigate and purify the vessels. They then added the meju and salted water into the urns, stirring in jujube (a sweet fruit similar to a date) which adds natural sugar, antioxidants, and antimicrobials to balance the flavor of the fermentation. Dried chili peppers also help to stabilize the fermentation environment in the early stage.<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/69fa5249a56132dc1b4c62e4\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/First%2520Hand%2520Farm_Janice%2520Chung_FNAL-02922.jpg\"\/)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\nSalt water is poured over the cloth, submerging the meju blocks.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Photograph by Janice Chung<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n After water is added to the onggi, jujubes and red chilies are added to balance flavors and stabilize the fermentation.<\/p>\n <\/span>Photograph by Janice Chung<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The final step will come in a few months when the solids and liquids separate. The liquid becomes ganjang (soy sauce); the solids are mashed to become doenjang (soybean paste). \u201cBoth soy sauce and soybean paste are aged further, often for years,\u201d said Ellia Park. \u201cTime softens the saltiness, increases depth of flavor and natural umami develops. It is common in Korea to reference jang by its age\u2014three-year, five-year, or even ten-year-old jang\u2014reflecting its value and complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n The farm comes at the right time in the evolution of Korean cuisine and culture. \u201cOver the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in global interest in Korean food and culture,\u201d said First Hand Farm\u2019s Director Joshua Lee. Growing Korean ingredients on New York soil is impactful as well. \u201cI’ve come to think deeply about terroir,\u201d said JP Park. \u201cThere is something meaningful about ingredients that are grown here, shaped by this environment. That contrast\u2014Korean culinary philosophy expressed through New York-grown ingredients\u2014can create a new kind of identity and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Paying it forward to the next generation, keeping rituals and traditions alive, is a value embedded in the project. \u201cWe want to educate younger cooks, and expose them to the connection between nature, ingredients, and cooking,\u201d said JP Park. \u201cThat experience is difficult to replicate in a traditional kitchen environment, and I believe it will become a valuable part of how we train and develop our team.<\/p>\n For the chefs, the farm also represents a broader exploration of the meaning of hospitality.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Hand holds two meanings at once: ingredients grown by our own hands, and the very first gesture that makes hospitality possible,\u201d said Ellia Park. \u201cThe farm also allows us to build something beyond procurement \u2014 a space for education, collaboration, and cultural exchange,\u201d added chef Park. \u201cThe farm is not just about growing food. It’s about redefining where hospitality starts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/69fa524b9a5c5c371e6684d2\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/First%2520Hand%2520Farm_Janice%2520Chung_FNAL-03426.jpg\"\/)
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