Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.

He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
used in the East.

Can anybody corroborate this?

On Sep 26, 4:24 am, "Slint Flig" > wrote:
> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>
> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.
>
> Can anybody corroborate this?

Not so sure about the word simultaneously in there, but for the rest
of it I believe it is true, although I've never been to Japan.

Also, not sure how strict the OT guidelines are in r.f.d.t but this is
probably not on topic for this group...

On Sep 26, 5:52 am, Peter A > wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>
> > Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> > eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> > drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> > to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>
> > He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> > used in the East.
>
> > Can anybody corroborate this?
>
> I know that what you say is true in Japan. I have heard that it is also
> true in China, but I've never been there so can't be sure.

One things for sure, chopsticks wouldn't work very well for the broth
portion

For soup, a spoon more "useful." See:

http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/

>
> --
> Peter Aitken

--Bryan

On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 07:52:57 -0400, Peter A >
wrote:

>In article >,
>says...
>> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
>> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
>> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
>> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>>
>> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
>> used in the East.
>>
>> Can anybody corroborate this?
>>
>>
>>
>
>I know that what you say is true in Japan. I have heard that it is also
>true in China, but I've never been there so can't be sure.

I know this to be true in Hong Kong and Singapore, the only places
I've been. There are ceramic spoons, but they are used to ladle the
soup from the cookpot to the serving bowl.

Slint Flig > wrote:
>Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
>eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
>drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
>to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.

Yes, pretty much. Watch the film _Tampopo_.

>He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
>used in the East.

For the most part this is also true.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I ran into a recent experience where everyone was going ga-ga over my
tea blossoms. I was down to a few so I put a couple in a big soup
bowl with boiling water and everyone used spoons. It was a spur of
the moment inspiration and a big hit.

Jim

Slint Flig wrote:
> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>
> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.
>
> Can anybody corroborate this?

On 09/26/2007 04:24:33 "Slint Flig" > wrote:

> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.

> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.

> Can anybody corroborate this?

I've never been to China or Japan, but I've had Japanese friends over the years here in New York City. Those fresh from Japan do it pretty much as you describe. The others caught on to our sensitivities, and, in true Japanese tradition, fit in by blending in. So, it looks like your friend is right.
Michael

Michael wrote on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:49:01 -0400:

??>> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the
??>> appropriate way to eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to
??>> take the bowl in one hand, tip it and drink from it while
??>> simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand to
??>> sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.

??>> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian
??>> restaurants are not used in the East.

??>> Can anybody corroborate this?

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

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 bow 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

> Also, not sure how strict the OT guidelines are in r.f.d.t but this is
> probably not on topic for this group...

Thanks guys I know it was somewhat OT but I also knew if anybody would know
about it, the readers of AFDT would.

Thanks for the replies!

"Slint Flig" > writes:

> > Also, not sure how strict the OT guidelines are in r.f.d.t but this is
> > probably not on topic for this group...
>
> Thanks guys I know it was somewhat OT but I also knew if anybody would know
> about it, the readers of AFDT would.

And if they didn't know, they'd contact their friends on RFDT.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

> And if they didn't know, they'd contact their friends on RFDT.

whoops thats what I meant

On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:00:36 GMT, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

>I wonder what is the custom in Viet Nam for Pho.

I traveled in Vietnam last winter. I recall eating a delicious noodle
soup in a Pho restaurant in Saigon. I did not see anyone drinking
from their soup bowls.

Lars
Stockholm

Slint Flig wrote:
> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>
> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.
>
> Can anybody corroborate this?
>
>
Yes, this is how I learned to drink/eat in when I lived in Japan.

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> Slint Flig wrote:
>> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
>> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it
>> and
>> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right
>> hand
>> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>>
>> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
>> used in the East.
>>
>> Can anybody corroborate this?
>>
>>
> Yes, this is how I learned to drink/eat in when I lived in Japan.
>
> --
> Jean B.

The Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant here that all the oriental businessmen eat
lunch at, they do the sip/shovel thing. Me, I don't care, get me a trough.
Just so I get it all.

ladyredlight

I have always been told that what you say is true in Japan. As for China, I
have very little information other than the occasional movie, where there is
a mixture of what you have been told and the big ceramic or plastic spoon.
Ang Lee's famous "Eat Drink Man Woman" (unsure of the exact title) shows the
family using chopsticks and the big spoons.

"Slint Flig" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>
> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.
>
> Can anybody corroborate this?
>
>

Slint Flig;1350484 Wrote:
> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it
> and drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your
> right hand to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>

What you see in common society in Asia and well-mannered society is
different -- just the same as it is different in Western countries. In
either area of the world, you will see people who shovel food into their
mouths. You won't see that being done among well-mannered people in any
kind of refined setting in either region.

So it comes down to whether you wish to follow what the average person
does on the street level or do you want learn to behave as the
well-mannered person does in more refined settings?

I would suggest applying good manners first (as practiced by the few)
rather than what you see practiced by the many. Don't shovel your food
if you don't want to look uncouth among the refined either in Asia or in
the West.

Cheers! -- Rik


--
Rik Brown
Message Origin: TRAVEL.com

"suds" wrote

>I have always been told that what you say is true in Japan. As for China,
>I have very little information other than the occasional movie, where there
>is a mixture of what you have been told and the big ceramic or plastic
>spoon. Ang Lee's famous "Eat Drink Man Woman" (unsure of the exact title)
>shows the family using chopsticks and the big spoons.
>
> "Slint Flig" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
>> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it
>> and
>> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right
>> hand
>> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.
>>
>> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
>> used in the East.
>>
>> Can anybody corroborate this?

Suds, you are correct for Japan but they also use the asiatic shaped spoon
at times though less so than other parts of Asia.

Proper Japanese eating is to lift the bowl in the left hand, sip with a
slurp (not exxagurated like a kid would do but enough to show pleasure in
eating) and lift solids out with the chopsticks in the right hand. Lefties
might reverse this ;-)

"suds" > wrote in message
...
>I have always been told that what you say is true in Japan. As for China,
>I have very little information other than the occasional movie, where there
>is a mixture of what you have been told and the big ceramic or plastic
>spoon. Ang Lee's famous "Eat Drink Man Woman" (unsure of the exact title)
>shows the family using chopsticks and the big spoons.

<snip>

The spoon is used to sip the broth - it is also used to support the noodles
as they are "slurped" using the chopsticks. The "slurping' as we call it
has several effects. Please note the clear broths or broth with very few
ingredients are sipped directly from the bowl.

1. Like sucking air through a good wine in the tasting process it allows
the pallet to savor the flavor of the broth.
2. Generally the temperature of the noodle soups are much hotter than the
American pallet is accustomed to and the "slurping" tends to cool the
temperature of the noodles.
3. Supporting the ends of the noodles or other ingredients keeps then
from splashing all over your clothes.


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)