PROJECT Noodle-Slurping

Dec 21, 2024 | Culture, Kitchen PROJECTS

NOODLE-SLURPING

Anyone who has ever spent time in Japan, or regularly eats at Japanese restaurants, knows  (all too well)  the sound of slurping. Noodles, for sure, but soup, tea and other liquids, too. Although noodles, soup and beverages are part of every food culture, making noise when consuming them is considered rude – except in Japan.

It is unclear just when the custom of noodle-slurping first appeared in Japan, but it is humorously, noisily depicted in a well-known rakugo story, Toki Soba, that has been performed for more than 400 years (rakugo is Japan’s comic storytelling tradition using pantomime).

When asked why slurping is the best way to eat noodles, most Japanese will offer “reasons” such as the speed and efficiency of slurping in getting noodles from bowl to mouth (with chopsticks), cooling hot soup at the same time. Another reason given is heighted enjoyment of flavor and aroma as noodles and soup are drawn into the mouth by slurping.

The verb susuru (to slurp) is written in kanji with the mouth radical (the vertical rectangle on the left) and 4 mata (on the right) meaning “again” (four times).

 

Learning to slurp (properly)

I envy those who slurp in style with an appropriate amount of gusto. After all these years I’m still not able to slurp noodles without getting hiccups. The advice I have been offered is to imagine gently blowing bubbles, but in reverse.

 

 

Visit the December, 2024 KITCHEN CULTURE blog: Year-Passing SOBA; New Year-Welcoming UDON for recipes and information on these noodle-eating customs.

Download a copy of the December, 2024 newsletter, Year-End Soba, Start-the-Year Udon

Small Plates

Small Plates

MAMÉ-ZARA   豆皿  (Small Plates) One of the distinctive features of Japanese food arrangement is the use of many small plates and bowls in serving a meal. These vessels are typically varied in appearance (color, shape, design) and generally hold small portions of food...

Seasonal Word Play

Seasonal Word Play

In Japanese, the words for martial spirit (shōbu, 尚武), victory (shōbu, 勝負), and a reed that is a botanical relative of the iris flower (shōbu 菖蒲) make a fortuitous pun. Throughout Japan, during Golden Week, fragrant bunches of shōbu (iris reeds), are sold in...

New Beginings

New Beginings

In Japan, April is the time for new beginnings -- the start of a new school year, a new fiscal year, and changes to many established programs on TV, radio and other media outlets. In tune with this custom, I've made some changes at A Taste of Culture this month. I...

PROJECT Springtime Sweets

PROJECT Springtime Sweets

洋菓子・yōgashiWestern-Style Confectionery Japan's food culture includes ingredients, techniques and dishes that have been adopted and/or adapted from non-Japanese sources.  One large category is confectionery. Earliest influences were from the Portuguese in the 16th...

Recent Posts & Projects