Interesting overservation

[novemberfog]

When I went to Taiwan, I noticed that Taiwanese do not buy a drink with lunch. For example, if we all went out to eat some noodles in soup, I guess Taiwanese ramen or something like that, me and the other Japanese there would order the noodles, and also buy a bottle of tea. But the taiwanese would only buy the noodles. When I asked them if they wanted any tea, they would say, "No, I have the soup." I thought this was interesting, because for us foreigners we wanted something to wash the salty taste of the soup down.

Is it the same in China or other Chinese communities?

[skylee]

Personally I don't drink the soup to minimise MSG intake. Nor do my family/friends as far as I can remember. But it doesn't mean that I would order a drink as most restaurants serve water here.

[FSO]

One of my mainland Chinese teachers confirmed this idea when it was presented to us in a listening exercise. I haven't polled more teachers than that (we have dozens of teachers, and they're all natives) but the one teacher was like, "Yeah, that's normal. Why do you ask?"

Cheers,

FSO

[elizaberth]

nothing unusual about it.

I live in a country where the chinese population is the largest.once i ordered a bowl of soup noodles and another glass of drink. The stall vendor looked at me with a weird face expression and asked,' you want a drink too?'

guess she meant: 'huh? water + water = don't u think u are drinking too much liquid?

[smalldog]

In Hunan people say it's bad for the indigestion to drink with a meal. They'll down a bowl of rice with salted meat and not drink a drop of liquid. However, beer and baijiu are allowed.

[Ian_Lee]

For Cantonese-style meal, usually soup is served.

When my wife prepares for dinner, it is usually 3 dishes (one fish, one vegetable, and one other variety) plus soup.

The Cantonese-style soup that my wife makes is usually 老火湯 (old fire soup) which means the soup takes a long time to cook. She would usually prepare it in the early afternoon before any other dish is prepared.

So during dinner, even my US-born kids will drink a whole bowl of soup before she finishes the dinner.

If you order set dinner in most Cantonese restaurants, they serve soup before anything else.

So for Cantonese style family dinner, actually we drink a lot of fluid.

When I go to Ramen shop, usually I don't order soda since it is not quite compatible. But in Vietnamese Pho shop, I definitely order the Vietnamese coffee.

[gougou]

In Hunan people say it's bad for the indigestion to drink with a meal

Many German families also don't serve drinks with a meal (thanks to a French mother, I have been spared!)

The reason is that the liquid will dilute the acids in your stomach, slowing down digestion.

On the other hand, in for example Mongolia, people drink tea before a meal to stimulate digestion.

[elizaberth]

For Cantonese-style meal, usually soup is served

guess I am already used to it 'coz I am a Cantonese and I have soup everyday at home.

[Lu]

That's strange, many restaurants I ate at in TW have ice tea machines, where you can tap your own ice tea to go with the meal. The tangmian-restaurant also had that. Many other restaurants have taofan (set meal) that includes a drink (usually ice tea). And if you order food at a coffee house (Starbucks, Dante's) they ask you if you want a drink as well.

[novemberfog]

once i ordered a bowl of soup noodles and another glass of drink. The stall vendor looked at me with a weird face expression and asked,' you want a drink too?'

It happened to me too, and after that I learned to buy food a bottle of tea from the convience store, and then go buy the food.

I can understand not drinking anything whlie eating, but I am sure I would go crazy if I could not have a little water after the meal. So my hat goes off to all that can do it!

[deezy]

The reason is that the liquid will dilute the acids in your stomach, slowing down digestion.

My colonics doctor said the same thing - not to drink water like 1/2 an hr before or after your meal. Although flavored drinks are "ok."

And qigong doctors may also advise you not to drink alcohol or cold drinks like up to 4 hrs after exercising or sex.

[randall_flagg]

Stupid question:

Today's fitness-craze aside, wouldn't it be a good thing to slow down digestion? Wouldn't that mean that you'd be fuller for a longer period of time and that your blood sugar levels wouldn't just shoot up, but simply rise slowly just to sink as slowly again later?

[deezy]

^ Actually, it allegedly causes indigestion, not slowed digestion.

In other words, the food doesn't get as fully-digested due to the weaker acids. This reduces nutrient absorption as well as leaves more food to rot in your colon. So, bad.

[ZenLow]

Soup conundrum continues.....

Is it the same in China or other Chinese communities?

I can't say for sure, but you've pointed an interesting observation.

I think your observation has some weight to it.

I'm chinese(canton) in a foreign country. My family's eating habits are as you've described.

It's not an explicit custom but it is the norm.

You've highlighted a habit I myself have, but cannot rationalise the reasoning to you.

Intuitively speaking however, maybe having soup & a drink would be quite bloating/filling?

[amego]

Hmmm for me I really need a cold drink after a soupy meal to clear the salty tasty and cool down.

[novemberfog]

Intuitively speaking however, maybe having soup & a drink would be quite bloating/filling?

You raise an interesting issue. When I was visiting in Taiwan, the people would always comment on "how little he eats". "A young man his age should eat more, why does he eat so little?" Perhaps the drink does fill one up? I once heard that for people dieting, if they drink a big glass of water before eating, they will eat less at dinner. I don't know if that is true or not though.

[LiYuanXi]

My mum doesn't need a drink if she is eating something with soup but for me, I would rather take a drink.