Lauren in Japan

Mom had it right!

The boy on the top left holding out the peace sign is the most delinquent boy in the school!

A mom and her son in traditional dress at Ise Shrine

There is one major rule when eating ramen: slurp!

Ramen should be eaten very (boiling!) hot in order to get the full flavor. So the Japanese slurp up the noodles to get in gulps of air to help cool it down. Slurping also helps the eater take in more of the ramen broth. Ramen broth is eaten with the noodles and not drunk after the noodles are finished because of how salty the broth is.
For foreigners who are not accustomed to this slurping culture, it can be a very difficult eating technique to listen to and implement. However, slurping the noodles allows the person to experience the food through all the senses (sight, taste, smell and feel of course).

What do you think? Will you try slurping your noodles next time you eat ramen?