On Food Culture and Slurping Sounds

Sometimes there are some interesting differences between East and West that can surprise you. I wrote recently that you’re actually expected to make loud slurping noises when eating any kind of Japanese soba or udon noodles, and if you don’t make these noises you might get amused comments about how quietly you eat. While slurping of Japanese noodles is okay, it’s the height of bad form to eat spaghetti in this manner, as I’ve found out to my great embarrassment. Although the food itself is very similar, there’s an invisible line divind the food culture of East and West that’s quite invisible to foreign visitors. Another example: it’s perfectly okay to pick up your bowl of miso soup and drink it as if drinking from a cup, again with the slurping noises, but a Western-style soup like ministrone should be eaten with neat Western manners.