Soup Etiquette (2024)

FAQs

What are the rules of soup? ›

Soup is sipped silently from the side of the spoon. As tempting as it may be to place the entire spoon in your mouth, especially when a truly yummy soup is served, refrain yourself! Fill your soup spoon by skimming the surface, scooping the spoon away from you.

Proper soup protocol prescribes that when you're finished with your soup, place your spoon on the right-hand side of your plate, or leave the spoon in the bowl with the handle pointing toward the right. If your soup is served in a cup you should always leave the spoon on the plate when you're finished.

Do not call attention to your eating by making noise either with your mouth or by scraping your silverware against your plate. Do not gesture with your knife, fork, or spoon in your hand. Do not push your plate away from you when you have finished. Leave it where it is the silverware properly placed.

The base of your flavor in a soup comes from the vegetables and other ingredients you add at the beginning, called aromatics. The traditional flavor base in French and American soups is called mirepoix, a mix of diced onions, carrots, and celery in 2:1:1 proportion (twice as much onion as carrot or celery).

An Act for the temporary Relief of destitute Persons in Ireland. The Act allowed the establishment of soup kitchens in Ireland to relieve pressure from the overstretched Poor Law system, which could not adequately feed people suffering from the Great famine.

When serving hot soups, always make sure to serve the soup in warmed bowls so the soup stays hot on its way to the table; likewise, cold soups should be served in chilled bowls.

Avoid Slurping Soup

Generally, people slurp because the soup is hot. Instead of slurping to cool the soup, try gently and quietly blowing on the soup in the spoon before taking it into your mouth. Once cooled, the spoonful can then be put into your mouth without slurping.

Soup should be spooned away from you with the bowl tilted away and even if it's steaming hot, never embarrass yourself by blowing on it! Never mix, mash, scrape, or move food with your fingers – goodness grief! Please don't chew or talk with an open mouth or lick your knife, it's just tacky.

It's up to you to decide whether or not to tip and how much. But Shubhranshu Singh, a marketing professor at Johns Hopkins University, likes to leave a 10% tip. If an establishment is asking for a tip, it's often an indication that the workers there are not getting paid a minimum wage.

How to eat soup according to etiquette? ›

The etiquette for eating soup is as follows: Always scoop the soup up from the side furthest from you, bring it to your mouth and never lean over the bowl. Sip the soup, do not slurp. When you are down to the last few ounces, slightly tip the bowl away from you, and scoop it up with your spoon.

Handle Silverware with Care

If you drop a fork or a knife, it means either a man or a woman is coming to visit (depending on the type of silver and where you are). If you drop a spoon, a child is going to come by. Silverware that falls and points to the back door means the person coming by isn't invited or welcome.

Cutlery placement

2. Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges facing inwards Soup spoons should be placed on the right of the knives.

Slurping your noodles loudly is considered a compliment to the chef throughout Japan and China – a sign of deep appreciation for your one-bowl meal. In South Korea and Singapore, however, not so much. There, you might get unappreciative glances – the kind you get when you talk too loudly in a quiet train carriage.

Serve from the left, remove from the right. Never cross your arms in front of the guest. If the chef has created a focus for the dish, like a directional garnish, make sure it is facing the appropriate direction. Make sure not to spill hot soup in the guest's lap.