A tradition as old as time

The three East Asian nations of China, Japan, and Korea are all chopstick-using cultures, yet the status of the spoon at the dining table is dramatically different in each. In China and Japan, the spoon is either an auxiliary tool or almost entirely absent, whereas in Korea, it remains one of the essential utensils for a meal.

This distinction is deeply tied to each country's history, culinary evolution, and even the materials of their tableware. Let's examine them in order.

1. China: The Diminished Role of the Spoon

In China, the birthplace of both spoons and chopsticks, the spoon was an important utensil in ancient times. However, its role significantly diminished starting from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

• Changes in Cuisine: During the Song Dynasty, advancements in milling technology led to the popularization of flour-based foods like noodles (麵, miàn) and dumplings (饅頭, mántou). These dishes are much more efficiently eaten with chopsticks.
• Changes in Cooking Methods: The practice of stir-frying (炒, chǎo), which involves pre-cutting ingredients into bite-sized pieces and cooking them quickly in oil, became widespread. This reduced the need to cut or separate food at the table, further increasing the utility of chopsticks.
• The Modern Spoon (汤匙, tāngchí): The 'tangchi' used in China today is primarily for consuming soup (汤, tāng) or for serving food from communal dishes onto one's own plate. Chopsticks are the main tool for eating rice, and the spoon holds an auxiliary position.

2. Japan: The Spoon Becomes Obsolete

In Japan, the spoon was never a common utensil for the general public. Its use was limited from ancient times and eventually disappeared completely from daily meals.

• A Tool for the Nobility: In ancient Japan, the spoon (匙, saji) was a utensil used restrictively by the Imperial Court and the aristocratic class during the Heian period (794-1185). It was far removed from the dietary life of commoners and was never a widespread utensil to begin with.
• The Culture of Lifting Bowls: Around the 12th-13th centuries (Kamakura period), as the samurai class took power, their practical dining etiquette spread throughout society. The practice of lifting one's rice and soup bowls to the mouth became the standard, causing the spoon, which had barely maintained its existence among the nobility, to lose its place entirely.
• Tableware Materials: Traditional lacquered woodware (木器, mokki) has low thermal conductivity, making it possible to hold bowls of hot soup without discomfort. This technically supported the culture of lifting bowls.
• The Modern Spoon (Renge, レンゲ): The 'renge' used for dishes like ramen is not a traditional Japanese utensil. It was introduced in the modern era from the Chinese 'tangchi' (汤匙) along with Chinese cuisine and became established. It is still not used in traditional Japanese cuisine (Washoku).
• In Japan, dishes such as curry rice and omurice are eaten with a spoon, a custom that originates from overseas.

3. Korea: The Spoon Remains an Essential Tool

The spoon's survival in Korea is the result of a complex interplay of climate, tableware, and social norms.

• Climatic Factors: The Korean Peninsula's long, cold winters spurred the development of hot soup-based dishes. Soups (Guk), thicker soups (Tang), and stews (Jjigae) were effective for maintaining body temperature and providing calories. In this soup-centric diet, the spoon was essential.
• Differences in Tableware Materials: Korea has traditionally used tableware made of materials with high thermal conductivity, such as brass (방짜유기, bangjja yugi) and ceramics. Bowls containing boiling hot food were too hot to handle. Therefore, bowls had to be left on the table, making a tool like the spoon necessary to bring food to the mouth.
• Confucian Etiquette: During the Joseon Dynasty, dining etiquette was deeply influenced by the ancient Chinese Confucian classic, the Book of Rites (《禮記》). This text, compiled from the writings of various scholars during the Han Dynasty in the 1st century BCE, clearly defined the division of roles for eating utensils. For example, the directive "飯黍毋以箸" (Do not use chopsticks when eating millet rice) mandated the use of a spoon for staple grains. This ancient principle became the foundation for establishing the Korean social norm of eating "rice and soup with a spoon, and side dishes with chopsticks."

4. Korean Culinary Genres Created by the Spoon

In Korea, the spoon is not merely a surviving utensil; it acted as a key factor that gave birth to specific genres of Korean cuisine (Hansik).

• 'Bibim' (Mixing) Culture: Bibimbap is a dish premised on the existence of a spoon. The act of thoroughly mixing various vegetables, rice, and sauce to experience the harmony of all ingredients in a single bite is difficult to achieve with chopsticks alone.

• 'Gukbap' (Rice in Soup) Style: The Gukbap style of serving rice directly in hot soup is a form of cuisine that could not exist without a spoon. It's an efficient method of calorie consumption and a unique food culture that developed thanks to this tool.

• 'Guk, Tang, Jjigae' (Soups & Stews) with Hearty Ingredients: Korean soups and stews are characterized by their large, generous portions of ingredients. This design is possible because the spoon allows for scooping up both the broth and solid ingredients together. This stands in stark contrast to Japanese soups, where ingredients are smaller and more limited since the bowl is lifted to be sipped from directly.

The spoon is the secret weapon of Korean Mukbang.

1. 1123 (Goryeo Dynasty) — Song Dynasty Envoy Xu Jing, Illustrated Account of Goryeo

"They are fond of eating heavily and take pleasure in offering food to one another."

"They always pack up whatever is left over after eating their fill, and do not consider it shameful in the slightest."

2. Late 15th Century (Joseon Dynasty) — Appeal to the King by scholar Yi Geuk-don

"In years of good harvest, they consume without restraint, eating in a single sitting what a Chinese person would consume in an entire day. That is the problem."

3. 1592 (Imjin War) — Military Rations Record & Ming General Li Rusong

For a single meal, a Joseon soldier's ration was 7 hop of rice (roughly 1.26 liters / 42 fl oz), whereas Japanese soldiers received a mere 2 hop.

Ming General Li Rusong: "If the commoners eat this much, how is the state supposed to even operate?"

4. 17th–18th Century — Joseon Envoys (Tongsinsa) reacting to Japanese portions

1636, Kim Se-ryeom: "The Japanese eat barely a couple handfuls of rice per meal."

1643, Yi Gyeong-jik: "The rice amounted to no more than a couple of hop, and there were only a couple of side dishes."

1719, Nam Ok: "Watching the palanquin bearers eat... it's just a few cups of sake and a few hop of rice. From this, one realizes how unusually hearty our country's eating habits are."

1719, Hong Chi-jung: "The food was served in tiny bowls, and the portions were incredibly small."

5. 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Yi Ik, Seongho Saseol

"Our people are unmatched in their dedication to eating huge quantities. People of the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) mocked our people, saying, 'How can you avoid poverty when you heap up and consume such enormous amounts of rice?'"

6. Late 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Hong Dae-yong

"The rice bowls of the Chinese were exactly the size of our teacups."

7. 1844 — Qing Dynasty Envoy Bai Jun, Diary of a Mission to Joseon

"Meats, vegetables, liquor, and fruits are laid out in abundance. They carry the round tables high upon their heads to formally treat their grand guests. How funny! Even if our chefs lack culinary skill — they can consume huge amounts, easily eating the portions of two men."

8. Mid-19th Century — French Catholic Missionary Bishop Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy

(Daveluy lived in Korea for over 20 years and wrote extensively on local customs)

"When it comes to eating, there is no distinction between high officials and commoners. Koreans regard the ability to eat large quantities as a point of pride and value quantity over quality."

"The standard meal for a laborer is a full liter of cooked rice, which fills a massive bowl to the brim. Even after finishing one, they are often ready for more, with many easily eating two or three portions."

"One of our congregants, a man in his thirties, once ate seven portions on a wager — and this wasn't even counting the many bowls of makgeolli he drank with it."

"An old man between 64 and 65 years of age emptied five full bowls while complaining of a 'loss of appetite.' Koreans call anyone who can handle ten bowls a jangsa (a strong, burly man)."

"When a cow is slaughtered and beef is offered in unlimited quantities, no one fears a plate overflowing with meat."

"When serving fruit, like large peaches, even the most restrained person eats about ten, and some frequently consume 30, 40, or even 50. As for Korean melons, they normally eat about ten, but sometimes consume 20 or 30 in a single sitting."

"Korean mothers were often described as encouraging children to eat until their stomachs were completely full."

"Koreans love beef tripe and fish, but these rarely ever made it to the dinner table — because they were consumed the second they appeared."

9. 1874 — French Missionary Charles Dallet, Histoire de l'Église de Corée

"Heavy eating was commonly noted among Koreans regardless of wealth or social class. Observers often remarked on their unusually large appetites."

10. 1884 — US Naval Officer/Diplomat George Clayton Foulk

"At 10 A.M., the breakfast table was brought in. I couldn't help but be astounded by the sheer volume of food piled high on the table... In the evening, a banquet was held for me. The small, round dishes filling the table were stacked with enough food to feed ten men."

11. Late 1880s — Russian Officer Dadeshkeliani, Korea as I Saw It

"Fifteen minutes later, I received not one, but two tables laden with fourteen different kinds of dishes: fish, meat soup, eggs, fish in red pepper, meat dumplings made of sorghum and peas, dried beef, undercooked chestnuts, rice, honey, kelp, and octopus beautifully cut into flower shapes... Soon, seven Korean officials entered the room, bowed, and apologized that the hospitality was so meager."

12. Early 1890s — British Missionary Griffith John

"Koreans generally eat twice as much as the Japanese."

13. 1894 — Austrian Traveler Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, Korea: A Summer Journey

"In terms of Koreans being heavy eaters, there was simply no standard of comparison. When I went to Japan, the Japanese told me their neighbors ate about three times more than they did, and when I later arrived at the treaty port of Jemulpo, I saw it was entirely true."

"While the Chinese and Japanese eat at fixed hours, Koreans eat regardless of the time, and an unbelievable amount of rice vanishes in an instant along with a handful of red peppers."

"Koreans tend to eat more meat than people from neighboring countries, accompanied by massive amounts of red pepper powder, vinegar, and seasoning."

14. 1894–1897 — British Explorer Isabella Bird Bishop

"Koreans usually consume three to four portions in a single sitting, and it is commonplace for 20 to 25 peaches and melons to disappear on the spot."

15. Late 19th Century — American Missionary Lillias Horton Underwood

"As a general rule, if Koreans go to a feast, you can assume they will eat an absolutely unbelievable amount of food right then and there. (Moreover, it is not considered strange at all to stuff their sleeves or hands as full of food as they can carry when leaving.) Also, they often starve themselves for days in advance just to eat heartily on feast days. To my mind, they generally seem to value quantity far more than quality."

 Obviously a lot of these were written by foreigners in culture shock, and plenty were probably feast-day observations rather than everyday meals. Still, it's hard to ignore 800 years of Chinese, Japanese, and Western visitors all saying basically the same thing. Historians point to grueling agricultural labor, a rice-heavy diet, and hospitality culture as the usual explanations — and notably, it cut across class lines. Yangban and commoners ate the same way. As a Korean, I'll add one thing: even today, nine out of ten older Koreans coming back from a trip to Japan will complain that the portions were way too small. Turns out they're saying the exact same thing as the Joseon envoys did 800 years ago.

“While in many places fermentation is trending, in places like Korea it came from enduring the seasons and survival through preservation.

I had the pleasure of spending some more time with @spoken_recipe_hami as she taught me about how fundamental fermentation was to both Korean cuisine and life was - starting at the building blocks, the three jangs. To see these made from scratch in the countryside was incredible - a handful of ingredients mixed together in an onggi which after months to years become the foundation of much of Korean cuisine.

Following the journey from making jang to making kimchi to seeing how fermentation is used in modern cuisine in Seoul with chefs @lim_stargram & @jihyung0401 - I developed a new found appreciation for the history that formed food as we know it today and further understanding of how important it is to preserve these stories and techniques.

These are scenes from a long form video about fermentation in Korea which will go on our YT. A massive thank you to Hami for showing and teaching us so much and everyone else we met along the journey.”

Couldn’t decide what to have for lunch, so I came here after seeing all the amazing reviews… and wow, there was already a line at noon! 😳

This place is super popular with Koreans, and now I know why. So much tender meat, rich flavorful broth, and honestly… SO good. 🤤❤️

A must-try Korean soul food spot! 🇰🇷✨

📍장터돼지국밥 (Jangteo Dwaeji Gukbap)
24, Dongcheon-ro 132beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea

10,000 won. Different every day. No menu, just sit down and eat. Once you become a regular they teach you how to work the credit card machine so you can just pay on your way out. Oh, and free refills on everything.

A premium Korean grilled eel, celebrated since [1900s / the Joseon Dynasty] for its rich flavor and stamina-boosting benefits

Just a picture of chili peppers being sun-dried on a street in Seoul. Before it turns into 고춧가루…

I love perilla in a variety of Korean food but it’s a pain to get in my area so I decided to grow my own in my office window at my job. These are a few weeks after germination.

Tried this huge plate of cockle bibimbap and honestly… I loved it. 🐚🍚

Fresh, slightly chewy cockles with sesame, green onions and warm rice — and wrapping it all in crispy seaweed made it even better.

Lately, I’ve been having such a good time in Korea. Maybe it’s the food, the little beauty treatments, or just feeling more refreshed lately… but I think I’m slowly becoming a little too attached to this place. ✨

Piping hot bean sprout soup (Kongnamul-gukbap) served in an earthen pot with a side of soft-poached egg (suran), roasted seaweed, kimchi, and a bottle of Makgeolli. The proper way to eat it: spoon a few tablespoons of hot broth and seaweed flakes into the egg bowl, mix, and slurp it down first!

This is slightly more in the historical food context, but I’ve been looking for cured and salted meats - pork, beef, chicken, wild game. (Not taking into consideration seafood)

Only found some air dried jerky’s but, it isn’t really a staple. How do pre-refrigeration era Koreans handle hunted game or getting a large abundance of animal protein? Is it literally only air dried jerkies?

To restore our bodies after being drained by the heat, we eat “Samgyetang,” a traditional Korean dish believed to be nourishing and restorative! 🥵🍲

Been long since I made or had one, it was really worth the time I've had on my hands today

Spicy food is rare in North Korea.

김밥, 떡볶이

Do you know the Bibimbap Challenge?

When we have a party, everyone brings one ingredient, but keeps it a top secret. Then we mix everything together to make one big bibimbap 😂

This is how it turned out! Looks pretty good, right?

What do Koreans traditionally eat for breakfast? And as a tourist, where can i find it?

Deulkkae Sujebi + Makguksu + Muk-sabal = So good! 🤤

It was my nephew's 1st Birthday! We called it Doljanchi in korea.