mamajennyramen.webs.com

For starters, there’s no need to wait for others at your table to be served before you dig in. The second your bowl is set in front of you, it’s game time.

“The basic ideal of table manners in Japan is to pay respect and appreciation to the makers of the food,” says Daisuke Utagawa, a partner at D.C.’s ramen shop Daikaya. And one way to do that is to eat ramen when it’s hot and the noodles are at their optimal consistency.

Second: Forget the spoon. Sure, you can use it later in the meal, but the first taste should be a big gulp of broth directly from the bowl of steaming soup. Utagawa says to “get your face in there,” and make use of all of your senses for the full experience.

Finally, slurping is encouraged. Fill your chopsticks with noodles and slurp up the curly, broth-covered ribbons as quickly and as loudly as you can.

Just like pouring wine through an aerator helps to soften the flavors of the tannins, slurping ramen accentuates each ingredient in the dish and helps to cool down the hot soup before it hits your tongue.

Now you’re ready to eat some ramen !

more...