There is an ancient Chinese saying that there are seven necessities of life: firewood (柴 chái), rice (米 mĭ), oil (油 yóu), salt (鹽 yán), sauce (醬 jiàng), vinegar (醋 cù), and tea (茶 chá). While firewood may no longer be required in most kitchens, the others remain as relevant today as they were in the past. The aim with this design project was to explore these unglamorous but essential items in the kitchen, interpret them in a multicultural design context and present them as a coherent collection of modern objects for the kitchen realized exclusively in ceramic and stainless steel.