I usually reach for kitchen scissors when I need to cut kimchi or meat. As a Korean, I find this so ordinary that the question “Why do you cut food with scissors?” makes me stop and think.
My first reaction is: “If scissors make the job easier, why wouldn’t we use them?”
But I can see why someone might be surprised when a server approaches their dinner with a large pair. Scissors may bring to mind paper, wrapping, or a haircut. At a Korean table, they can mean something much more appealing: the barbecue is nearly ready.
Koreans use kitchen scissors because they make certain foods easier to cut, portion, and share—often without moving them off the grill or out of the bowl. Pork barbecue, cold noodles, and kimchi are familiar examples, also featured in Korea.net’s introduction to this everyday practice.
The useful distinction isn’t simply that Koreans use scissors instead of knives. It’s where the cutting happens.
The Cutting Happens Where the Food Is
Think about a meal served as an individual steak on a plate. A knife and fork make perfect sense.
Now picture a Korean barbecue table. Long strips of meat are cooking on a grill in the middle. Several people will eat from it, and the meat needs to be divided into manageable pieces.
With tongs in one hand and scissors in the other, someone can lift a strip, snip it into portions, and return the pieces to the grill.
There is no need to carry the meat away to a cutting board.
That is what makes scissors so practical in this setting. They bring the cutting tool to the food.
This fits naturally with Korean food-sharing culture, where preparing a shared dish can continue after everyone has sat down.
What Foods Do Koreans Cut with Scissors?
Kimchi: Less Moving Around, Less Cleanup
Kimchi is one of the foods I usually cut with scissors.
It may already come sliced, but larger pieces or long cabbage leaves need cutting before they are easy to pick up and eat. Scissors let you cut them directly into a bowl or onto a serving plate.
That is especially convenient when the kimchi is covered in seasoning. You can avoid transferring it to a cutting board and washing another surface afterward.
For me, this is an everyday example of choosing a tool that makes a small kitchen task simpler.
If you’ve read about 집밥 (jipbap), Korean home-cooked meals, this is another glimpse into the practical routines behind the food on the table.
Barbecue: Getting the Meat Ready to Share
Meat is the other food I commonly use kitchen scissors for.
At a Korean barbecue restaurant, their purpose is easy to see. A long strip of 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal), pork belly, needs to become smaller pieces that everyone can comfortably pick up.
Tongs hold the meat steady while scissors do the cutting.
Those smaller pieces also fit more easily into 쌈 (ssam), the leafy wraps assembled at the table. You can put a piece of meat on a lettuce or perilla leaf, add your preferred accompaniments, and fold it up.
Scissors can also help cut meat around the bones of 갈비 (galbi), ribs, although preparation and service vary by restaurant.
If you’re interested in Korea’s food-sharing culture, check out my post on why Koreans share food.
Naengmyeon: Making Long Noodles Easier to Eat
Scissors beside 냉면 (naengmyeon), Korean cold noodles, may seem more surprising.
The noodles can be long and chewy. Cutting through the bundle makes it easier to separate a manageable mouthful with chopsticks.
Having your noodles cut is a preference. Some diners find it convenient; others like to leave them long.
If a server asks:
“잘라 드릴까요?” (Jalla deurilkkayo?)
“Would you like me to cut them for you?”
You can answer:
“네, 잘라 주세요.” (Ne, jalla juseyo.)
“Yes, please cut them.”“아니요, 괜찮아요.” (Aniyo, gwaenchanayo.)
“No, thank you.”
If you’re sharing a bowl, check with the other person first. Once the noodles are cut, you can’t put their length back!
Curious about 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo)? Find out what it means here! The Korean Phrase “괜찮아요(gwaenchanayo)” Is More Complicated Than “I’m Fine”.
Koreans Still Use Knives
Seeing scissors at dinner doesn’t mean Korean kitchens have done away with knives.
Knives are useful for peeling, slicing, chopping, and many other preparation tasks. Scissors offer another option, especially when lifting and snipping food is easier than cutting it against a flat surface.
That is why I wouldn’t explain the habit as “Koreans prefer scissors for everything.” The food and the situation matter.
For kimchi in a bowl or meat on a grill, scissors can be convenient. For finely chopping vegetables on a board, a knife may be the better tool.
A Native Korean’s Tip: Follow the Table’s Lead
If you’re visiting a Korean barbecue restaurant, finding scissors and tongs on the table doesn’t mean you must immediately take charge.
At some restaurants, staff handle much of the cooking and cutting. At others, diners do more themselves. Watch what the staff are doing, or follow the lead of your dining companions.
If you need scissors, ask:
“가위 좀 주세요.” (Gawi jom juseyo.)
“Could we have some scissors, please?”
가위 (gawi) means scissors.
Before cutting shared food, you can also ask:
“잘라도 돼요?” (Jallado dwaeyo?)
“Is it okay if I cut this?”
That little question is useful when people have different preferences about noodle length or portion size.
Are They the Same Scissors Used Around the House?
The scissors used for food should be intended for food preparation and kept clean.
They shouldn’t be the household pair that has just opened a delivery box. Like knives and tongs, they also need proper cleaning between handling raw meat and ready-to-eat food.
Some kitchen scissors come apart for easier cleaning, though designs vary.
The shape may be familiar, but the purpose matters. We wouldn’t use a craft knife to prepare dinner simply because it has a blade. The same thinking applies to scissors.
Understanding the Korean Mind: Convenience Can Become a Habit
It can be tempting to look for a deep cultural explanation behind every unfamiliar dining habit.
With food scissors, the practical explanation already tells us a great deal. They let us cut certain foods where they are being cooked or served, divide a shared portion, and sometimes reduce cleanup.
For me, cutting kimchi or meat with scissors is an ordinary part of preparing food. Seeing it through a visitor’s eyes makes that familiar habit interesting again.
Kitchen scissors are used elsewhere, too. What may stand out in Korea is seeing them at work during the meal itself.
At a Korean barbecue table, cooking, cutting, sharing, and eating happen together. The scissors simply have a useful place in that process.
So if you see a pair beside your next Korean meal, you may be about to discover a convenient way to cut dinner.
Do you use kitchen scissors for food? Would you try them on kimchi, barbecue, or noodles first?😄
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