Chilmong’s products represent the very best of traditional Korean lacquerware. Carved from low porosity, high-quality cherry wood and sealed with a naturally-occurring lacquer, they are waterproof, heat-resistant, anti-microbial and incredibly durable. (And they won’t absorb flavors and odors or collect stains the way untreated wooden utensils do.) This sealing technique, called ott-chil, uses the sap of the lacquer tree, which only grows in East Asia. When applied to hard wood in thin layers, the sap creates a non-toxic coating that repels moisture and oil and inhibits bacterial growth. This old-school lacquering process can take weeks or even months, but the results are worth it: After five layers of lacquer (with the final layer applied by their resident lacquer master), Chilmong’s utensils become beautifully glossy and tough as nails—the kind of tools you’ll use for a lifetime. In fact, you may never use a lesser wooden utensil again. The set includes a spatula, a spoon and a rice paddle; each utensil features hand-painted accents on the end of the handle.