How to Eat Noodles

Co-authored by Thuong Tan

Last Updated: June 18, 2024

Who doesn't love noodles? The trick is to eat them right so you don't make a big mess. Don't worry so much about slurping, though. It's allowed in many cultures.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Noodles With Utensils

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1
Eat noodles like an Italian. Italians eat noodles by twirling the pasta with a fork, turning the noodles into a small nest. Different cultures have different ways of eating noodles.
- Italians twirl the pasta because it allows them to capture other ingredients that are blended into the pasta dish, like nuts or capers. This method works with more pasta dishes than spaghetti.
- Traditionally, you would see more Italians using both a fork and a spoon to twirl their pasta. While this is not technically wrong, the modern trend is to use a fork instead. Why do you need both anyway?
2
Twirl or cut spaghetti noodles. Spaghetti noodles can be sloppy, so what’s the right away to eat them so you don’t look like you’re making a mess?
- Take the fork, and twirl some noodles around the tines of it. At the same time, anchor the fork on the side or the bottom of the plate. Some people then twirl the fork on a spoon, but others just use the fork.
- If using a fork and spoon, hold the spoon in your left hand, and the fork in your right. Push the fork tines through the pasta meeting the spoon on the opposite side. Hold the spoon firmly, and twirl the fork until no strands are hanging from it. Now, lift the fork to your mouth.
- You could also cut the pasta into small pieces with a fork or knife, making it easy to eat with either a fork or a spoon. Many people will serve spaghetti noodles to children in this manner.
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3
Use a spoon and a fork to eat noodles in soup. In Thailand, Japan, and some other countries, noodle dishes are eaten with both a fork and a soup spoon.
- Pick up the noodles with the fork, and twirl them or hold them against the soup spoon before lifting them into your mouth.
- One utensil serves as a guide, and the other will hold the noodles, allowing them to be lifted.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Eating Noodles in Soup

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1
Eat noodles in soup. You will want to use a two-handed method when eating the noodles in soup.^{[1]
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- To eat noodles in soup, put the chopsticks in one hand and a soup spoon in the other hand. Ladle a spoonful of broth into the spoon, and then pick up noodles with the chopstick.
- Now, put the noodles in the spoon and then eat the noodles and broth from the spoon, while using the chopsticks to guide the food into your mouth.
2
Use chopsticks to eat noodles in soup. Some Chinese people eat noodle soup by using the chopsticks to lift the noodles into their mouths and then alternate by eating spoonfuls of the broth.
- Start by snapping the chopsticks apart. Take one stick in your dominant hand and hold the narrower tip like you would a pencil. You want to hold the stick so that only an inch of the thicker end is sticking out of the area between your forefinger and thumb.
- This is the base stick, which doesn't move as you manipulate the other stick between your index finger and thumb to clench the noodles between the two sticks.
- The same general process is used to eat noodles with chopsticks that aren't in soup broth. Asian countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand use chopsticks to pick up the noodles and deposit them in a large spoon; then eat the contents.
3
Go ahead and slurp noodle soup. It depends on the culture. In some Asian cultures, slurping your noodles and soup as you lift them to your mouth with chopsticks is not considered rude. In other countries, it's not done as often (such as in Thailand).
- In some cultures, such as in Japan, it’s also appropriate to pick up the entire soup bowl and to drink or slurp down the remaining broth in it.
- Slurping noodles actually has a practical purpose. It’s done because the breath cools down piping hot soup before you eat it.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Eating Ramen Noodles

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Eat Ramen noodles correctly. Ramen noodles are a college student’s staple because they are cheap and easy to make. They’re also tasty. And there’s a correct way to eat them.^{[2]
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- Take a pair of chopsticks, and pull a small amount of noodles out of the bowl. You should take fewer noodles than you expect to need.
- Pull the noodles up. You want to separate them from the rest of the ingredients in the bowl itself. Dip them back into the soup broth to add flavor and then lift them to your mouth, pursing your lips like you’re about to drink a hot beverage.
- Slurp the noodles. Then eat some of the other ingredients in the bowl. Take a bite of the meat, for example, and drink a spoonful of broth
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Eat the noodles fast. The trick to eating Ramen is to eat the noodles within five minutes. Otherwise, they soak up too much of the broth.^{[3]
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- In some cultures, the chef will be offended if you don’t slurp Ramen noodles as you eat them. Slurping them is a sign you like how they taste.^{[4]
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- You’re going to fail and make a huge mess if you try to grab too much at once. Remember that Ramen noodles are lighter and thinner noodles though than other noodle types.

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Question

How can I get better at using chopsticks?

Thuong Tan
Noodle Expert
Thuong Tan is a Noodle Expert and the Founder of Noodelist, a food startup producing plant-based instant noodles. Thuong holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Marketing from Haaga-Helia, University of Applied Sciences, and an MBA in Luxury Brand Management from IFA Paris, Polimoda/Shanghai University. Noodelist’s mission is to produce premium plant-based moroheiya noodles that are nutrient-dense, texturally pleasing, and environmentally friendly.

Thuong Tan

Noodle Expert

Expert Answer

They actually sell practice chopsticks that are easier to hold. You can learn how to hold chopsticks using those.

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What's the best way to season noodles?

Thuong Tan
Noodle Expert
Thuong Tan is a Noodle Expert and the Founder of Noodelist, a food startup producing plant-based instant noodles. Thuong holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Marketing from Haaga-Helia, University of Applied Sciences, and an MBA in Luxury Brand Management from IFA Paris, Polimoda/Shanghai University. Noodelist’s mission is to produce premium plant-based moroheiya noodles that are nutrient-dense, texturally pleasing, and environmentally friendly.

Thuong Tan

Noodle Expert

Expert Answer

Try adding some fresh herbs on top of your noodles, like coriander or mint leaf.

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Which hand should you hold the chopsticks in?

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Place the first chopstick in your dominant hand, holding it with the wide end. The tip of your thumb should be pressed against the chopstick, holding it in.

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Tips

Avoid having noodles hanging out of your mouth. Try the put the entire noodle in your mouth at once. This works better if the noodle is bundled up.

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