They are great "foodies" and loved trying out all sorts of Japanese food.
I remember they mentioned that one thing they thought was a bit annoying was the slurping sound the Japanese made when eating.
When I celebrated my birthday at a Japanese restaurant in March this year, I saw this explanation on the menu, and that slurping sound has a name.
I think the slurping sound would highly annoy me too... What about you?
For other signs from around the world go to Tom's blog.
You can read it better here:
Uhuuu, Sami, that would drive me nuts, that slurping!
ReplyDeleteI got my Dad´s genes, as kids we weren´t allowed any food at the TV, the sound drove him crazy. I saw a docu on how they eat soup in Japan.... nooooo....
It´s enough when Ingo has a melon!!!! I really then need to focus on something to not kill him.
Dad went to Japan, though, and never talked of Zuzutto.
Or any food, LOL...
That would be the Zuzutto Iris, the sound they make when eating the ramen, lol
DeleteI would love to go to Japan one day too.
I don't like noisy eating at all. Unfortunately Westerners are not immune as they slurp their soup.
ReplyDeleteI hate noisy eaters too! Thanks Andrew.
DeleteSlurping and knife-licking are two habits that drive me mildly crazy! I have read that eating habits, especially slurping or noisy chewing, are high on the list of things that are most annoying, sometimes even leading to violence, among people in lockdown together.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of knife-licking, but it would highly annoy me too!
DeleteThanks for your lovely comment further below David. I had no intention of offending anyone or any culture with this post, but you obviously knew that :) Very kind of you, it really touched me.
DeleteDifferent cultures have different ways of doing things, and I tend to try to be open-minded, not just apply my own cultural prejudices. Your other commenters seem to have a different view. Long ago I visited a Japanese home, where I was served a bowl of noodles and encouraged to try eating the Japanese way. I managed a faint sound, and my host said “good sound” which was almost the only thing he said in English — mostly his daughter translated the conversation.
ReplyDeleteIn the wonderful film Tampopo there’s a great scene in an Italian restaurant in Japan where a teacher is instructing a group of young women in how to be polite in the West. Just as she explains that they must eat spaghetti in absolute silence, no slurping noise, a big white man with a napkin tucked under his chin begins loudly slumping his pasta. They all watch raptly.
be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Great story Mae. I agree we should be more open minded, I'll try :)
DeleteI watch lots of cooking programs, and have heard that this is the best way to enjoy the noodles. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm open-minded. Love these noodles too! Hope you are doing well! RO
ReplyDeleteThanks RO. Not sure I can do that, maybe I need to give it a try :)
Delete...when we go to a restaurant in Maui, there is a lot of slurping going on at the nearby tables. Noodles in soup must be slurping good! Thanks Sami for being here today, take care!
ReplyDeleteThanks, that's funny Tom. Thanks for hosting.
DeleteEis um país que queremos muito visitar. Vou sonhando fazendo umas paisagens de lá em ponto cruz. Pode ser que um dia dê, passando o bicho que nos isola.
ReplyDeleteBoa tarde
Também é um pais que me fascina, está na lista. Obrigada Paula.
DeleteFunny sign. Did not know my slurping noodles was appropriate. Now I do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Taken for Granted, enjoy your noodles.
DeleteOh no Sami, I think full enjoyment of food can easily occur minus the slurping noises 😀😀
ReplyDeleteThanks Grace :)
DeleteI've heard that sound. I've made that sound. Yummy. I love Japanese food.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ♥
I don't enjoy Ramen, but love other Japanese food like Sushi, Tempura, Sashimi...
DeleteI guess it was ingrained into us not to make noise while we eat. It would be hard to get used to it.
ReplyDeleteExactly Pat, we are brought up hearing not to make a noise while eating.
DeleteI'm not too keen on noisy eating !
ReplyDeleteHope your week is going well.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, have a lovely week too.
DeleteDearest Sami,
ReplyDeleteRespecting you posting of signs but NOT the mocking of the ancient Japanese culture, where slurping your noodles is not only customary, it is good manners―a sign that you're enjoying your food. Traveling to foreign countries includes also respecting the cultural history.
Don't think your daughter and son-in-law are great foodies as they should be more respective of the culture that produces such foods.
Being at home you can do as you please but I don't appreciate any mocking of a foreign culture about their unique way of eating... That's a faux pass.
Hugs,
Mariette
Mariette, I'm not mocking the Japanese culture, just as my daughter and son in law didn't know about the slurping sound, and I had not even come across it before until I read this menu!
DeleteMost societies around the world have rules about table etiquette and noisily consuming food is considered rude. Most of us have been taught from babies to not make noises while eating, so the fact other cultures make a noise doesn't mean we have to like it, it can be confronting and annoying as we are not used to it in the Western culture, and that doesn't mean we disrespect that other culture.
A few of the Northern European countries for example are very liberal with nudity, but I find it confronting and would not be something I would do. Doesn't mean I disrespect them, just that I wouldn't be comfortable with it. Other European cultures are loud, like to cut lines, are very straight forward when saying something... sometimes even within the same country there are different habits, I find nothing wrong with it, but it can be annoying or confronting if I don't have that habit, or wasn't brought up that way.
I never, not even for a moment, Sami, thought you were disrespecting or mocking the Japanese in any way, and anyone who regularly reads your blog would know that.
DeleteDearest Sami,
DeleteFirst of all, traveling to any foreign country we ought to educate ourselves about their culture. That way you arrive prepared. Writer Mary Murray Bosrock wrote an excellent series about this: Put Your Best Foot Forward Asia: A Fearless Guide to International Communication and Behavior.
Writing about it on an international platform, like Blogger is, we have to realize that it sounds like mocking the other culture... An open and honest discussion is what adult people should be able to.
The country of your son-in-law has for almost half a century the habit of topless beaches and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to go, neither does one have to travel to Japan or other countries with 'annoying' habits.
There are always some good things to be learned from any foreign culture. What both of us have come to admire tremendously in countries like China, (Pieter has traveled and lectured at Universities as a Citizen Ambassador), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and also India, their respect for the elderly! That by far makes up for some slurping or burping. Pieter and his group did have thorough briefings before going there, complete with chopsticks eating practice, before flying to Japan and on to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Criticizing in private is different from doing it on a world wide platform.
Table manners at home are also a different perspective!
Hugs,
Mariette
Sami, Ramen is something I super super super Miss! Thank you for letting us know about zuzutto. I know about that culture but now I know the name of it. My grandfather is Chinese and he eats his noodles and soup very noisily and my Dad explained to me that he does that to tell the cook that it's very delicious. No wonder when I visited my grandpa's hometown in China, all you can hear at the restaurant are loud slurping HAHA weird at first but knowing about its context makes us feel one with them :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Stevenson, yes I suppose that knowing the context we have to accept it.
DeleteNão sou grande fã de ramen, confesso.
ReplyDeleteSushi, sashimi, tempura.
Tambem nao gosto de Ramen, mas adoro Sushi, Sashimi, tempura. Obrigada Pedro
DeleteInteresting post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim :)
DeleteI had Japanese friends in school. They not only slurped, they said it was a sign of respect, both for the food and the host (cook/chef). In some Asian countries, burping after the meal is encouraged. If you don't burp, you obviously have not enjoyed the meal. We westerners are taught to eat silently, but that doesn't mean other countries were taught that.
ReplyDeleteBTW, most Chinese and Japanese are taught to respect and highly regard their elders. Sadly that trait has not been passed on to us Westerners.
Thank you Elizabeth. In Portuguese culture we used to have great respect for elders at least until my generation, but now I find the younger generations doesn't show the same type of respect which is very sad.
DeleteOh my gosh, how funny. I think that slurping sound would bother me too. I remember my mother saying "stop making that sound while you are eating" a few times when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon, same with us. Have a lovely weekend
DeleteI noticed that in Japan too but when I learned it was a cultural tradition, it made sense to me. I never knew it had a name, though. I'll have to tell Rick!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanie, funny that there is a name for it :)
DeleteTambém me incomoda o barulho que algumas pessoas fazem ao comer.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e tenha um bom fim-de-semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados
Obrigada Francisco, bom fim de semana.
Delete