Has anyone ever judged you for slurping (húp) your noodles? Well, Vietnam Coracle has come up with a list of six reasons why you shouldn’t be ashamed for showing an elevated understanding of soup intake.

1. When in Rome (for foreigners)

It’s a way of getting involved, diving in, going native, trying new things. This is what travelling abroad or living in another culture is supposed to be all about: new experiences.

2. Ăn nóng cho ngon đi!

The quick intake of air serves the function of cooling the noodles on their way from bowl to mouth, rather than stopping and blowing on them. This means you can eat hot food more quickly so that the noodles, and everything else in the bowl, will stay nice and crisp, rather than getting all soft and soggy while you wait for it all to cool down.

3. To slurp is to enjoy

It’s playtime, it’s pleasure time: who cares about the splashes of broth on your white shirt, the sounds you’re making, the mess you’re making. It’s about relishing the food. Quite simply, to slurp noodles is to enjoy noodles.

4. Broth = magic

Vietnamese broths are among the best in world: magic potions full of mysterious ingredients; cauldrons of nectar in which strange and delicious alchemical processes take place. Noodles are essentially a vehicle for broth; they’re naked without juice.

5. Aeration

The intake of air (through the slurp ‘n’ suck technique) exposes the noodles and broth to oxygen. This has the effect of bringing out more flavors through the process of aeration. It all sounds very scientific, but people who are supposed to know about these things (chefs, scientists…..food bloggers), tend to agree that the process leads to a fuller, richer, smoother taste.

6. Go nasal

When you slurp ‘n’ suck you need to get your head close to your bowl. So close, in fact, that your nose is practically in the broth. An estimated 60-80% of taste is actually smell, so the closer your nose is to the bowl of noodle soup, the better it will taste.

[Photo via Japan Times]