An international student asked me this. "Teacher, there's an empty bowl in the hallway. Who threw it away?" That's not it. The people who live there put it out on purpose. ## Why do they put a bowl outside the door? In the old days, jajangmyeon and jjamppong were delivered in ceramic bowls. The bowls belonged to the restaurant, so you had to return them once you finished eating. So when customers left the bowls outside their door, the delivery person would come by later and pick them up. Customers didn't need to carry the bowls to the restaurant themselves. That habit is what has lingered to this day. ## Why don't they ring the bell and hand it over? Many people feel a little awkward standing face to face holding their used dishes. Delivery workers are busy too, so leaving them at the door saves time for both sides. During COVID, deliveries exchanged without seeing each other's faces became more common, and that made it feel more natural. ## Can I put mine out too? These days, most delivery food comes in disposable containers. They won't take these away, so you have to sort and recycle them yourself. You can tell whether a restaurant collects its dishes by checking the restaurant's notice or the app when you order. If it's a restaurant that collects its dishes, do the following. Throw away any food scraps, rinse the dish once with water, and leave it right next to the door. Rinsing is a small courtesy to the person who will handle the dish next.