WALLA WALLA, Wash.-- Inspired by the "noodle phenomenon" in Japan, Whitman College
senior David Sprunger will travel to Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam and Italy to search out
different noodles and the cultures that have developed them, thanks to a Thomas J. Watson
Fellowship for overseas research.Sprunger, a 1992 graduate of Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon, who is majoring in art and Asian studies at Whitman, will study noodles on two levels: first as an industry in and of itself; second as a microcosm of the societies that foster them.
In his proposal to the Watson Foundation, Sprunger stated that "Societies can be symbolized as a kind of rich broth. By studying noodles, I gain an understanding of the kind of broth that 'makes the noodles swim.'"
Sprunger's first experience with noodles as more than a dietary commodity came in his sophomore year at Whitman, when he and a fellow work-a-holic student began snacking on ramen noodles in the early morning hours after long days in the library and art studio. During their ramen feasts, said Sprunger, the students discussed many issues--and debated not only the best way to cook the noodles but which brand of the inexpensive snacks was the most flavorful. The noodles became the social vehicle over which they ended one busy day and planned the next.
During his junior year, as an exchange student in Kyoto, Japan, Sprunger found the origins of his college snack--Japan's true ramen--available in different shops. He began a quest to taste as many varieties as he could, as well as other Japanese noodles such as soba, udon and somen. Although at first he saw the noodles only as noodles, he gradually began to see the significance of noodles on a socio-cultural level.
"The Japanese seemed to feel very strongly about noodles: the preparation followed a never ending quest for perfection, while for many, consumption took the form of a precise ritual. An entire 'noodle culture' did indeed exist," says Sprunger. As he discovered this, he came to realize that many concepts historians and sociologists use to describe cultures, such as "social stratification" or "artistic sensibility," could all be found on a microcosmic level in the noodle culture--one's class distinction, for instance, could be defined by which noodle, ramen or soba, one ate. "In a sense," he adds, "I found Japan in the noodle."
In a sense, he found more than Japan in the noodle. During his stay, Sprunger's discussions of the noodle led to hints by some that the ramen noodle was related to a Chinese noodle dish la mian. This knowledge eventually led to ponderings about the origins of noodles, their cross-cultural characteristics and, eventually research questions such as: "What kind of noodle cultures had developed in Asia?" "How did Italy fit into the picture?" "Since noodles have been carried from country to country, what kinds of characteristics have remained common?" "Did social aspects of different countries get carried over with the noodles?"
These are some of the questions that Sprunger will be seeking to answer in his year-long odyssey to Asia and Italy. During "part one" of his trip, he will travel ancient trade routes from Japan to Korea to China. In part two, he will follow what he calls the "secondary migrational pattern," traveling first to Vietnam and then to Italy. He plans to spend four months in China, the country he feels is the origin of the noodles found in all other countries in his study, but he plans to begin in Japan.
After forming a "big picture" of noodle culture in Japan, he will travel to Korea. "The trip from Japan to Korea," says Sprunger, "will be carried out by boat from Kyushu, following a centuries-old trade route. I suspect, therefore, that in certain areas of Korea, noodle cultures will bear a strong resemblance to those found in Kyushu."
After Korea, Sprunger will travel to China and spend four months studying the five "noodle spheres" he believes exist in Manchuria, Peking, Kan Tung, Szuchan and Taiwan. The next leg of his journey will take him to Vietnam, which has seen many migrations of and occupations by the Chinese. "I am interested to learn how these migrations and invasions have left their mark on the Vietnamese noodle culture."
The last two months of his journey will take him to Italy, where he will live in Florence and travel to Milan, Rome, Naples, and Sicily. "Italy opens up a wealth of possibilities for cross-hemispherical comparisons. My theory suggests that all noodle cultures share certain characteristics. I find the prospect of East/West connections extremely exciting....We live in an age where technology is making our world smaller and smaller, bringing different cultures closer than they ever have been.
"In our nearness, certain aspects of our humanity undoubtedly overlap. As both an artist and an Asian Studies student, I see the overlapping areas as possessing great potential for exploration. Thus, as experienced through noodle cultures, Italy's cultural connections with Asia could prove very fruitful."
Lenel Parish, Whitman College News Service, (509) 527-5156
Email: parishlj@whitman.edu