The Right Way to Eat Ramen

Hey guys. So my last post was a recommendation for a ramen spot, and I was asked a very good question, "What is the correct way to eat ramen?"

I was in Japan just a short two weeks ago, and I must of eaten at least 4 bowls of ramen in my short 5 day trip. Here are a few things to pay attention to:

• The bowl of ramen comes topped with different ingredients, but usually always includes bamboo, bean sprouts, and an egg.  Before eating your ramen, use your chopsticks to mix around all the ingredients, so no one ingredient is in one corner of your bowl.

• Ramen is eaten using chopsticks and a spoon (called a Chinese Spoon). You lift the noodles with the chopsticks high enough that they separate from the bowl and the rest of the noodles. Then, you dip them back in the bowl to re-wet them with the broth before eating them.

• Most importantly: SLURP! In Japanese culture it is a sign that the food is delicious and shows a sign of respect towards the cook. So do not be afraid to make as much noise as you want while slurping up those noodles. And when you finish, it is proper to raise the bowl with two hands to finish any remaining broth which is is also a symbol that you enjoyed the food down to the very last bite.

Remember that ramen is meant to be enjoyed and eaten quickly, like pizza in the United States. When in Japan, I witnessed a group of four teenage boys slurp up their ramen loudly and quickly and they all finished their bowls of ramen in under 5 minutes. It was incredible.

If you want to know more about ramen, look here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/09/the-serious-eats-guide-to-ramen-styles.html  for some super helpful tips.