On 09/26/2007 04:24:33 "Slint Flig" > wrote:

> Hi, I have a friend who says that in China/Japan the appropriate way to
> eat/drink soup (eg, miso soup) is to take the bowl in one hand, tip it and
> drink from it while simultaneously using the chopsticks in your right hand
> to sort of.. shovel.. the chunkier bits into your mouth.

> He says the big spoons that are used in Western Asian restaurants are not
> used in the East.

> Can anybody corroborate this?

I've never been to China or Japan, but I've had Japanese friends over the years here in New York City. Those fresh from Japan do it pretty much as you describe. The others caught on to our sensitivities, and, in true Japanese tradition, fit in by blending in. So, it looks like your friend is right.
Michael