Skip to main content

Of course the world needs this noise-canceling fork that masks noodle slurping

We’ve all been annoyed by a someone slurping their soup or ramen before, but chances are you’ve never thought someone would create a product that serves as a solution for this vile sound. Well, we’re happy to announce that a Japanese instant-noodle titan Nissin has stepped up and created a noise-canceling fork designed to drown out the sounds from slurping ramen and other noodles.

 The Otohiko, as it’s called, is a ramen utensil that’s designed to create a bridge between the “cultural friction” that exists among cultures that allow slurping and cultures that don’t.

Recommended Videos

To illustrate this friction, Nissin rolled out a video that features three Japanese people sitting across from a group of Westerners at a table. One of the Japanese men — a businessman wearing a suit — offers a cup of ramen to the Westerners.

The Westerners start eating the ramen quietly, enjoying their treat. The Japanese then start eating their own ramen, making slurping noises while consuming them. The Westerners find the sound off-putting — which kicks off a series of events that ultimately lead to the creation of the Otohiko fork.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nissin says it collected vast amounts of data by recording slurping noises while people ate ramen noodles. The company then mined the data from the recordings to identify the key elements of the slurping sound.

Then came Otohiko: a fork that looks vaguely like an electric toothbrush, and is equipped with a highly directional microphone that recognizes the slurping noise. A signal is sent to the device, which immediately emits a loud, electronic noise that sounds like waves washing ashore combined with futuristic space sounds.

Nissin has started a crowdfunding campaign for the Otohiko fork in which the company will start manufacturing the product if more than 5,000 people pre-order the noise-cancelling ramen fork. It will retail for 14,800 JPY (US$130) per fork.

Although many of us in the Western world do not understand the slurping of ramen noodles, the Japanese argue that slurping is the right way to consume them as you can draw out more of the flavors in the noodles. In fact, slurping is encouraged in Japanese restaurants as it is considered the polite way of consuming noodles. Burping, however, is discouraged.

Karl Utermohlen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Karl Utermohlen is a finance and tech journalist with an MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho. his do Zelda…
Tineco’s docking vacuum has a special Prime Day price, but you can get it cheaper
A Tineco Pure One next to its charging base.

Vacuums feel like they're getting more and more expensive, and not just robot vacuum and mop combos, but ordinary hand vacs. You can go to Walmart and see bagged, corded vacuums that cost hundreds of dollars. It doesn't have to be that way. Tineco's Pure One vacuum brings power and convenience for the same price that other vacuums have, but with new features instead of going backwards into the world of cords and bags. Usually $459, it is down to $319 for Prime Day (that's a savings of $140 already) and we're happy to report you can get an extra 5% off with the code TIN25PDPR on Amazon. Tap the button below to see the vacuum yourself and snag this great deal, or keep reading for what makes this vacuum truly unique.

BUY NOW

Read more
This AI mower finally got a discount — grab it before it’s gone
m800 doing work on the lawn

If you’ve been holding off on getting a robot mower because you can’t stand the idea of burying boundary wires or babysitting your lawn from a clunky app, Prime Day is delivering for you once again. The Yardcare M800 Plus is one of the most intelligent, user-friendly smart mowers you can buy and now it's on sale. Pick-up the M800 Plus for $719.99, a savings of $180 (regular price $899.99).

A smarter way to mow

Read more
This Beatbot robotic pool cleaner gets all the leaves — 47% off for Prime Day
The Beatbot iSkim Ultra in the swimming pool.

Are you growing tired of gathering the leaves that are floating around in your swimming pool? Then you shouldn't miss this chance to get the Beatbot iSkim Ultra with a huge discount from Amazon's Prime Day. From $1,499 originally, it's on sale at 47% off for a lowered price of only $799. That $700 in savings are among the largest that you can get from the offers for Beatbot robotic pool cleaners during the shopping event -- act now and complete your purchase immediately to make sure that you get this device at nearly half-price.

BUY NOW

Read more