One common belief held by Americans is that it is impolite to slurp one’s food. However, when it comes to eating ramen, slurping is not only an acceptable practice — it’s encouraged (video below).
In a video for the Dallas Morning News, chef Teiichi Sakurai has gifted us all with Slurping 101 — a beginners guide for how to “properly” consume a bowl of ramen.
The good news? There aren’t any real rules.
“It’s very simple,” Sakurai tells the Dallas Morning News, explaining that most people sip the broth using the lenge (Asian soup spoon), and alternate with bites of ramen or garnish, which are eaten with chopsticks.
“Just one sip, then pick up a noodle and slurp it, and some vegetable or chashu. Eat the noodles enjoying different flavors, together, slurping for smoothness of the noodle or the soup’s flavor. There are no rules, but I grew up that way.”
As for garnishes, Sakurai tells the Dallas Morning News that it’s up to you whether or not you want to mix them in or eat them on their own. The balance of noodles to garnishes is all that really matters.
“It’s very, very free,” he adds.
Check out Sakurai doing his thing in the video below: