Ramen is a Japanese soup composed of noodles and a meat- or fish-based broth. Eating ramen in a traditional style is essential for showing courtesy and respect for the people who have served you the ramen soup. Ramen is now served worldwide; however, its wide distribution did not reach this level until after World War II. A food shortage in Japan caused the Japanese to turn to ramen noodles for nourishment because ramen is calorie-dense and cheap to make. The proliferation of the "instant ramen" soup created by Momofuku Ando in 1958 contributed greatly to the availability of ramen around the world.
Step 1
Pinch one chopstick in your hand so that it runs between your thumb and middle finger. Position the chopstick so that the bottom of the chopstick is at the base of your fingers between your thumb and index finger.
Step 2
Place the other chopstick under your index finger and hold in place with the tip your thumb. Position this chopstick so that it runs parallel to the first chopstick.
Step 3
Raise your index finger slightly to open the chopsticks.
Step 4
Slide the open chopsticks through the ramen noodles. Push down on the top chopstick with your index finger to trap the noodles between the top and bottom chopstick.
Step 5
Raise your hand to your mouth with the noodles still trapped by the chopsticks.
Step 6
Place noodles into your mouth.
Step 7
Suck the noodles into your mouth. Slurping your food is a sign of enjoyment in Japanese culture and is not considered rude.
Step 8
Continue eating the ramen soup until you have eaten all the noodles, vegetables and any meat in the dish with your chopsticks.
Step 9
Place your chopsticks on the table with the tips pointing to the left, according to proper chopstick etiquette.
Step 10
Grab the bowl with both hands. Lift the bowl to your mouth. Turn the bowl upward and drink from the bowl. This is another sign of enjoyment of the food, and is not considered disrespectful in Japanese culture.
Things You'll Need
- Chopsticks
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