Scissors of the Pastry Seller

In Joseon Dynasty Korea (1392–1910), itinerant traders, called bobusang, were divided into "portable stall sellers" and "back carrier sellers". The portable stall sellers typically offered high-end luxury goods, while the back carrier sellers sold simpler, everyday necessities such as agricultural products and seafood, as well as handicrafts and medicinal remedies. They played a vital role in the supply chain of rural areas.

The term bobusang appears in literature in the mid-19th century, but it is believed that this form of trade existed as early as the 17th century, when markets first emerged. In the 18th century, over 1,000 locations in Korea hosted periodic five-day markets. Street vendors traveled from market to market, transporting their goods in baskets or portable stalls.

The sweets vendors (gungjung) sold, among other things, deep-fried sweets (hangwa) and intricately shaped, pressed rice cakes (dasik).

Traditional hangwa were typically made from readily available ingredients such as grain flour, fruits, roots, honey, rice wine, and spices like cinnamon and ginger. The rice cakes consisted of rice flour or soybean flour and honey or rice syrup.

Sweets in ancient Korea were mostly sweetened with honey. Sugar was a luxury item that had to be imported. Therefore, pastries containing sugar were correspondingly expensive and remained the preserve of the upper class. In contrast, the simple snacks sweetened with honey, artfully arranged in baskets or on trays by the street vendors, were affordable for everyone.

Sweet vendors were often present at celebrations and festivals. Sweets were also sold near temples, where they were not only treats but also played a role in rituals and as offerings.

Older Koreans still remember sweet vendors traveling through rural areas of Korea. To attract attention, the vendors would clatter their scissors at the village entrance. Children would run up, and the vendor would then cut the sold sweets into pieces with his scissors.

Kitchen scissors specifically designed for use with food are widely used in Korean cuisine. Meat dishes like samgyupsal (grilled pork belly), noodles in broth, and the traditional kimchi (fermented cabbage) are often cut into bite-sized pieces with these scissors so they can be easily picked up with chopsticks.

At the table, these kitchen scissors primarily serve as carving knifes for meat. They are also used in food preparation, for example, when cutting green onions.

For cutting paper, fabric, and similar materials, different scissors are used.