Beyond Paper Cups

In a recent trip I ate a delicious Korean traditional pancake (호떡) for the first time. Because the pancake is fried and hence very hot, the vendors served it in a paper cup, which wrapped it as an insulating cone-holder (see picture above).

In Korea, I have seen several times people using paper cups as food holders instead of plates (beside the above example, I have also seen people serving portions of birthday cakes in paper cups), so basically adapting an interface used traditionally for drinking to a different usage (serving food).

This is an obvious choice in absence of alternatives (i.e. disposable plates) and, in my opinion, a better choice than using paper napkins. It is also somehow a cultural reinterpretation (or adaption) of the cup interface. For instance, Koreans eat many food in bowls, including ramen (라면) which is nowadays also served in paper cups. Finally, chopsticks better adapts to bowls and cups than not forks ("picking" rather than "forking"), suggesting me that the usage of paper cups as food holders is not just a coincidence but has its roots in the local culture.