Eating with a Korean spoon might be a bit difficult. Especially if you’ve never been to Korea before.
I’ve been living in Korea for over 12+ years and also found it a bit why the Korean spoons are so long.
In this article, I’ll explain why it’s better to eat with a spoon, where to buy the spoon, and how it’s used.
Let’s get started.
In short: Korean utensils, spoons evolved to fit the Korean culture. The long spoons help them scoop the food in an efficient way. It’s more appropriate to use long spoons while eating soup or rice. While other countries use forks and knives at their meals, the Korean way of eating
The Differences Between Korean Spoons and Other Spoons
The main differences between Korean spoons and other spoons are in the length of the spoon itself. It’s not just in Korea that they have long spoons, but I’ve noticed most Asian countries use a spoon that is quite a bit longer than the average spoon that you would find in the U.S.
In Korea, they have metal spoons. Even though a Korean spoon is stronger and has a longer lifespan. It doesn’t mean they don’t use normal “regular” spoons also.
The Shape of The Korean Spoon
The shape of a Korean spoon will look similar to the first picture. It’s not very wide, thicker at the end, and then tapers into a sharp point. It’s quite long and is appropriate to use when eating rice or soup.
Length of The Korean Spoon
The length of a Korean spoon is about 2inches/5 cm. Everyone uses the same spoon. Because this is the traditional way of eating, there’s no big need to use different size spoons.
Uses for Korean Spoon
Eating rice and soup with a spoon, of course.
Are Korean Spoons Better, Easier, and Cheaper?
Eating Korean food with Korean-style utensils is much easier than using forks, knives, or chopsticks. Especially when you’re eating rice with a spoon. It’s also the traditional way of eating rice with a spoon.
Better spoons
The spoons are better because of their strength. The lifespan of a Korean spoon is about 15 to 20 years. It doesn’t mean they never need to get new spoons. It’s just that Korean spoons are made of stronger metals than other ones. More durable, it will last longer.
Easier to use
The spoons are easy to hold. Because you don’t need to pick up the spoon too often, it’s easier to use a Korean spoon.
Cheaper spoons
If you buy a cheap set of spoons that are imported from China or Japan, they might last about 5 years. They’re much weaker and will break easily when being used with any kind of drink or soup.
The Korean spoon is much easier to use for anyone who hasn’t used them before. It might take some time to get adjusted to using a Korean Spoon, but it’s definitely worth it.
Why Are Korean Spoons Flat?
In Korea, the shape of a spoon is flat. The shape of a spoon is not as important as its length. Koreans use spoons for soup and rice dishes.
It’s a tradition to eat rice and soup with a spoon, not a fork and knife.
It seems like most countries around the world use flat-shaped forks and knives when eating meals, except Korea.
Even back in the 80’s Korea was known to use flat-shaped spoons.
Conclusion
Korean spoons are flat-shaped and made of metal. They’re different than other kinds of spoons, but they’re easy to use. When you go to Korea you’ll be able to adjust really quickly.
