Embrace the open mouth and fight the closed-mouth regime
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Eating with an open mouth should be considered good manners |
Eating with an open mouth has several benefits. The open mouth inherently allows more ventilation, which means that substances can flow more freely, which in turn means that eating becomes more enjoyable. As the volatile substances spread more evenly, they reach more taste buds. They also reach the nose more rapidly. Eating is meant to be enjoyable, so an open mouth should be considered good manners.
But why do Westernized cultures still insist on a closed mouth? Because there is a need for a more acceptable public image. Also, table manners are still being taught as if they are absolute. But in reality, everything can be reshaped, including table manners. In 2022, British researchers stated that eating with an open mouth makes eating more enjoyable. The same Western culture that imposed the closed mouth is the same culture that will one day realize the benefits of the open mouth.
Closed-mouthers, people who prefer eating with a closed mouth, maintain a thought police force to single out open-mouthers, people who eat with an open mouth. This is commonplace because there is no acknowledgment of the benefits of eating with an open mouth. The closed-mouth regime has a weak foundation, as there haven't been serious consequences directly traceable to eating with an open mouth. In fact, eating with a closed mouth limits what we can eat. It is quite odd that looking at excrement is more acceptable than looking at food being chewed.
Sources
- 25 July 2022. "Jaw-dropping news! Eating with your mouth open makes food taste better". The Guardian https://web.archive.org/web/20240521074016/https:/www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jul/25/jaw-dropping-news-eating-with-mouth-open-makes-food-taste-better.
- Hampson, Laura (22 July 2022). "Eat with your mouth open to make food taste better, study says". The Independent. https://web.archive.org/web/20240521073655/https:/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/eat-mouth-open-study-food-b2128947.html
- Martinus, Danial (29 July 2022). "Food actually tastes better when you chew with your mouth open, Oxford prof says". Mashable Southeast Asia. https://web.archive.org/web/20240521074255/https:/sea.mashable.com/life/20973/food-actually-tastes-better-when-you-chew-with-your-mouth-open-oxford-prof-says.
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