Hello, All!

There has been a thread on eating soup on rec.food.cooking and
it seemed worthwhile posting the question here.

It has been said that the big porcelain or lacquer spoons
provided in the US are not customary in Japan or China. Has
anyone any first hand comments?

I think that it is true that people drink soup from the bowl in
Japan judging by movies like Tampopo and others have mentioned
this too. I have tried it that way and it's not difficult tho' I
find it less messy to use chopsticks for noodles etc. and not to
shovel them from the lifted bowl.

I had never questioned that the spoon might be used in China but
I can't remember any movies.

I wonder what is the custom in Viet Nam for Pho. Around here,
people of all ethnicities eat the noodles and meat with
chopsticks. It might be quite practical to drink the remaining
soup from the bowl but it's a big bowl and I've never seen
anyone
do it.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news:ETzKi.3189$9r4.1985@trnddc04...
> Hello, All!
>
> There has been a thread on eating soup on rec.food.cooking and
> it seemed worthwhile posting the question here.
>
> It has been said that the big porcelain or lacquer spoons
> provided in the US are not customary in Japan or China. Has
> anyone any first hand comments?
>

Yes James, the somewhat oblong ceramic spoons are called "Renge" in Japan.
Pronounced somewhat like "wren-***".
They are Chinese in origin but are used in Japan for various soup dishes.
It is also customary to eat Chinese foods such as Cha-han (Fried Rice) or
Ma-Bou-Doufu with a Renge.
Here is one, although it is more decorative than the very common plain white
ones.
http://kotazou.tea-nifty.com/usagi/images/DSC00418.JPG
The only other kind of spoon you'll find in Japan is the western spoon.

> I think that it is true that people drink soup from the bowl in
> Japan judging by movies like Tampopo and others have mentioned
> this too. I have tried it that way and it's not difficult tho' I
> find it less messy to use chopsticks for noodles etc. and not to
> shovel them from the lifted bowl.
>
Tampopo (one of my favorite films) is from the 1980s.
Today, any Ramen shop in Japan and outside of Japan for that matter
will give you the disposable chopsticks and a Renge. These days the Renge
is frequently not made of ceramic but white plastic.
People use the Renge in the left hand and the chopsticks in the right to
scoop
up soup and other small pieces.
Some old-timers, such as myself, still have a hard time accepting the Renge
and
still sip the soup from the bowl.
Here is a site that thinks like I do.
http://www3.city.kurume.fukuoka.jp/e...oy/index-e.htm
Unfortunately, while the soup is good, Kurume Ramen uses men (noodles) that
are
a bit too skinny (like vermicelli) for my liking.

> I had never questioned that the spoon might be used in China but
> I can't remember any movies.

As mentioned I am sure you'll find the ceramic "Renge" under a different
Chinese name in China.
In Korea they tend to use metal spoons.

> I wonder what is the custom in Viet Nam for Pho. Around here,
> people of all ethnicities eat the noodles and meat with
> chopsticks. It might be quite practical to drink the remaining
> soup from the bowl but it's a big bowl and I've never seen
> anyone
> do it.
>

Can't speak for Vietnamese. I'd be curious to hear.

Musashi

James Silverton wrote:
> Hello, All!
>
> There has been a thread on eating soup on rec.food.cooking and it seemed
> worthwhile posting the question here.
>
> It has been said that the big porcelain or lacquer spoons provided in
> the US are not customary in Japan or China. Has anyone any first hand
> comments?
>
> I think that it is true that people drink soup from the bowl in Japan
> judging by movies like Tampopo and others have mentioned this too. I
> have tried it that way and it's not difficult tho' I find it less messy
> to use chopsticks for noodles etc. and not to shovel them from the
> lifted bowl.
>
> I had never questioned that the spoon might be used in China but I can't
> remember any movies.
>
> I wonder what is the custom in Viet Nam for Pho. Around here,
> people of all ethnicities eat the noodles and meat with
> chopsticks. It might be quite practical to drink the remaining
> soup from the bowl but it's a big bowl and I've never seen anyone
> do it.
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

haven't been to Japan (yet). i notice in other SEA countries they
normally drink straight from the bowl. only chopsticks are needed to
pick up the morsels or to shovel [literally! especially coarse in
China]. i think in Vietnam the women do use a spoon for the broth.
have to check the pics on my cds, can't remember for sure. eating ramen
elsewhere a huge lacquer spoon and a huge bowl are the norm. i enjoy
drinking the broth from a big bowl like everyone else unless the bowl is
visibly filthy.

man eating and drinking soup in Yangshuo
http://bonvivantnl.fotopic.net/p41789617.html
minority women eating and drinking soup at my table
http://bonvivantnl.fotopic.net/p43419563.html

Saudades > wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
> > [ . . . ]
> i enjoy
> drinking the broth from a big bowl like everyone else unless the bowl is
> visibly filthy.

Being served on a visibly filthy bowl would definitely detract from my
enjoyment!

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

Nick Cramer wrote:
> Saudades > wrote:
>> James Silverton wrote:
>>> [ . . . ]
>> i enjoy
>> drinking the broth from a big bowl like everyone else unless the bowl is
>> visibly filthy.
>
> Being served on a visibly filthy bowl would definitely detract from my
> enjoyment!
>

the bowl [and just about everything else] is always filthy in those
countries. sometimes you get a plastic bag liner
http://bonvivantnl.fotopic.net/p41445760.html,
http://bonvivantnl.fotopic.net/p41445761.html