I think it’s a combination of the ‘we use this trough for everyone all day’ and the fact that the name is really similar to ‘semen,’ but this sounds highly unappealing.
It is unappealing. I would not eat at a place like that. Some do have separate chopsticks for catching the somen (long o, so probably sounds less like semen than you might think), but it's still not great. I have seen it at family events as well.
It’s probably more sanitary in Japan, but in the US I could see the guy sitting in the both next to me sneezing directly into the water, licking his chopsticks before attempting (and missing) some noodles. Then giving up and using his hands, that he didn’t wash after coming back from the toilet.
It's probably more sanitary in Japan, but in the US I could see the guy sitting in the both next to me sneezing directly into the water, licking his chopsticks before attempting (and missing) some noodles.
Tell me you've never spent long in Japan without telling me you've never spent long in Japan. We had a problem during corona where people would remove their masks to sneeze or cough. We have tons of gross people over here.
At least they were wearing their masks, many people I worked with during the pandemic kept masks in their pockets or hanging from the rear view mirror in their cars, but refused to wear them for any reason.
The sanitary level of Japan is grossly (sic) overestimated. Barely anyone washes their hands after using the bathroom, so many men cough and sneeze without any effort to stop the spray. In winter, Noro virus infection is a given at least once, while in other countries it’s barely known.
That’s how these noodles are prepared, they’re run through cold water and served cold. The novelty here is it flows through a trough to you, instead of chilled out of sight and served.
Have you never tried cold noodles? One of my favorite dishes to make is to cook up some spaghetti, rinse it under cold water, and pour Italian dressing over top of it. It's refreshing and filling.
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